Paris, for You, for Us
by Female-Fighter
Summary: I'm doing this for us. I love you too much to hurt you like this. One of us needs to make something out of our lives.  What happens to Tamaki when he leaves home from my other Story 10 years.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer**- I own nothing!  
>AN- This is what happens to Tamaki in the 10 years he leaves home. The first few pages will sound familiar to those that read 10 years, sorry. I don't know why I started this I just felt like it I guess. Please enjoy.

"Do you love me?" Tamaki laid staring up at the sky in his back yard. The moon was full and the stars were shinning down on him and on the man he loved.  
>"Of course I love you. I wish you would believe me when I say it."<br>"I do, I just like to hear you tell me that you do."  
>"Typical." Kyouya laughed as he pulled Tamaki on top of him. He was glad he snuck out to come here tonight. Every moment was worth it, though he felt that every moment spent with Tamaki was worth it. Soon they would come out and tell their father's that they were in love. Both had money saved up and put away in case they were thrown out of their houses. If they didn't get thrown out then the money would continue to be saved so they could buy a place of their own when they were ready. They didn't plan on moving out so soon unless they had to.<br>"I love you. I'm glad you are here. I just hope you don't get caught going home. I don't want you to get in trouble."  
>"I'll be fine. Besides who said I was going home tonight?"<br>"Wha…?" Tamaki was cut off as he felt lips tickle his neck.  
>"Kyouya…someone could see us." He had trouble getting his words out as he felt his lovers lips move down his body, his shirt was slowly being removed.<br>"We've done it in riskier places before."  
>Tamaki knew he was right. "Sssh less talking."<p>

*_The second time they hung out together as more than simple high school friends, Tamaki went over Kyouya's house. That in itself was rare but they walked into his father's office.  
>"Hey Tamaki come here."<br>"Are you sure we can be in here? Isn't your father going to be home soon?"  
>"He still has another few hours of work since he has a meeting today."<br>Kyouya kissed the nervous lips of the man he loved until they stopped quivering. He sat on top of his father's desk and pulled Tamaki closer, it seemed Tamaki wasn't going to object anymore. Soon Tamaki lay under him on the desk; his father's papers were sticking to their sweating bodies if they hadn't fallen to the floor from their movements. Both loved the feel of their naked flesh on each other. Neither could have imagined sex having this much enjoyment if they hadn't experienced it for themselves. Being lost in each other they lost track of time, having their senses snap back as they heard Kyouya's father down the hall heading into the kitchen. They had just gotten dressed and snuck out of the room before he walked out and into his office. The room was still a mess but the window was open, they could only hope he believed it was the wind.*_

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Tamaki slurred his partners' words as he bit down on the others lips. Neither were worried about someone finding them, they were hidden by the flowers and bushes in the garden. They didn't care who found them, if anyone, they loved each other. They couldn't be torn apart by anything. No matter what came up they would handle it together.

Tamaki couldn't control the moans that escaped him as he felt Kyouya over him. This felt so right, so perfect, just as every time before this did. "…Kyouya!"  
>"Master Tamaki is that you? Are you out here?"<br>Both stopped, frozen as they were. Hopefully whoever it was wouldn't find them. As much as they didn't care, it was a little too bright from the moon to be comfortable with the idea that someone other than each other would see them naked.  
>"Someone is coming. Kyouya get off me, it sounded like Shima's voice."<br>"Oh shit!" Shima wasn't too strict but it would definitely not be good to get caught by her out of all the people on staff here. Kyouya got off of Tamaki without standing so he wouldn't be seen over the bushes.  
>"Here are your clothes."<br>"Tamaki these are yours."  
>"Oh sorry…here." Both tried to keep their voices as low as possible as they handed the articles of clothing to the right person. Kyouya just slid his boxers on and moved between the bushes as he heard someone getting closer. It did sound like Shima.<br>"Master Tamaki, you should come in. It's nearly eleven and you have school tomorrow don't forget." Kyouya practically held his breathe as she walked past him. Luckily Tamaki had just finished getting dressed and was looking at the sky as she walked over.  
>"Oh Shima, hello, I'll head in soon it's just too nice of a night to not enjoy it."<br>"Don't stay out too much longer. And should I have preparations made to have Mr. Ootori stay the night as well?"  
>Tamaki sat up and glanced at the bushes where Kyouya was for a second before looking at Shima. Kyouya slapped his forehead; of course she knew he was here. Tamaki couldn't be subtle about anything.<br>"No, Kyouya isn't here. I haven't seen him all night."  
>"If you say so Master Tamaki. Please don't forget to come in soon."<br>"I will, thank you Shima."  
>Once he was certain she was gone and back in the house Tamaki collapsed exhaling. That was close; he barely got his shirt on the correct way before she arrived. Next time he was sticking to simple things when he knew he was going to be with Kyouya. Kyouya came out of the bushes shaking off the leaves that had fallen on him.<br>"That was a close call, huh Kyouya? I wonder how she found out that you were here?"  
>"Well it couldn't be the fact that she heard you scream my name before. Somehow I am not at all surprised by the fact that you are one of those people that scream a name during sex."<br>"Hey, at least it was your name."  
>"Hey, I wasn't the one worried about someone finding us." He couldn't stop the smirk from forming; Tamaki set himself up for that.<br>Tamaki just pouted at him as if he was an injured puppy, he hated when Kyouya was right.  
>"Well since you aren't dressed yet and the night is still young care to pick up where we left off?" He moved closer to Kyouya to straddle him.<br>"I thought you would never ask."

Tamaki got dressed yet again to go inside for the night. Kyouya was right beside him to re-button his own shirt.  
>"Are you staying the night?"<br>"Do you want me to?"  
>Tamaki just folded his arms to stare at him. What kind of question was that?<br>"Alright I'm staying. Just don't leave me outside your window for twenty minutes like last time."  
>"I said I was sorry."<br>"Roses hurt and that lattice isn't the easiest thing to climb and hold onto to, plus you know how I feel about heights."  
>"Alright I get it. I'll open the window as soon as I get in the room. I won't change first."<br>"Good, see you in a few." He kissed Tamaki before he headed to the house away from the back door and closer to Tamaki's bedroom window. Tamaki walked into the house making sure he looked the same as always. Kyouya waited until he saw Tamaki's light go on before he climbed the lattice. This time he knew where to place his hands and feet as he climbed making it easier though the rose thorns still managed to prick him.  
>"I swear Tamaki that bush is there to keep people out." Kyouya swung his legs into the room, Tamaki grabbed him to make sure he didn't fall.<br>"Probably, since it is only outside of my window. Kyouya you're bleeding, come here." He grabbed Kyouya's hand to see that blood was coming out of the side of it. The thorns got him good it looked like.  
>"I'll be fine, don't worry about it."<br>"Stop being stubborn and let me clean it for you." Knowing fighting him was pointless he let Tamaki take him to the bathroom. He seemed upset; this wasn't that big of a deal. Take Tamaki to get upset over a little scratch. Once that was taken care of Tamaki led them to his bed. They didn't do anything but sit together; Kyouya could tell he had something on his mind. Something he was thinking heavily on.  
>"I'm tired of sneaking around Kyouya. I want us to be able to go out together and not worry about holding hands or flirting with each other. I want to go somewhere nice with you, go out on an actual date. I mean sneaking out has been…fun and thrilling I'm just getting tired of it."<br>"I understand Tamaki and we talked about it. That's why we are keeping money aside so we can be ready and prepared for when we stop hiding just in case things don't work out."  
>"I know but I wish we could just not worry about it. I like taking care of you. I want to take care of you forever. I want to heal your wounds that aren't from sneaking into my room."<br>"Tamaki one day we will be able to. I think we should wait until we graduate. I know it's still a year away but waiting feels right. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and we both know that our lives don't truly start until after high school."  
>"Your right I know. I can wait until then. We still have each other so I can handle sneaking around until the time is right. And actually I think we should wait until you take over for your father. I don't want him to do something to you while he can. Once you're in charge he won't be able to stop us."<br>"What about you? You have just as much at stake."  
>"Not really. My grandmother hasn't accepted me yet so I am still not her heir. I think she is trying to find my father another wife so they can have a legitimate child, a true successor."<br>"Tamaki don't say that. I know she will accept you soon I can feel it."  
>"Well whatever I'm just saying. You have much more to lose. I don't mind waiting if it means you're safe from your father. I want us to live our lives without worrying about our families doing something to break us apart."<br>"You're too much you know that right?"  
>"It's my duty to take care of you."<br>"Your duty? Says who?"  
>"Says the unwritten rule that the father is to take care of his family."<br>"Is that so?" Kyouya moved to force Tamaki to lay on the bed so he could stare into his eyes. He loved Tamaki and the unwritten rules he followed. He laughed every time he heard them. That night Tamaki made room for him in the bed. His hands pulled Kyouya closer as they laid under the covers. Tamaki may have been the father in his made up family but Kyouya knew that Tamaki loved to be held and taken care of.

"Kyouya get up your going to be late." Tamaki was trying his best to wake Kyouya for school.  
>"Tamaki what time is it?" He noticed the man he spent the night with was already dressed and his lavender eyes were staring at him with annoyance for sleeping in so late.<br>"About ten minutes before we have to leave or we are going to be late. Your driver is already here and waiting outside of the gates so Shima doesn't know you spent another night here." As Kyouya sat up Tamaki handed him his glasses. He forgot that he had a driver come here to pick him up whenever he spent the night to erase any chance of rumors if they arrived in the same car.  
>"Do you still have the uniform I left here?"<br>"I have it hanging in the bathroom for you already."  
>Well he didn't have time for a shower but knowing Tamaki he had something to get the smell of grass out of his hair. He should have done what Tamaki did and showered last night.<br>"Am I coming over again tonight?"  
>"Well I thought you invited me over for a 'my dad is leaving on a business trip so we have the house to ourselves' party."<br>"Your right I did say that. Okay then my house it is. He leaves while we are in class so whenever you want to come over you can."

The day was the same as always, school then host club. No one in the club knew that they were together and both were okay with that. Surprisingly both liked the idea that their relationship was private and wasn't made a big deal. He believed all relationships should be like that though he had to keep tabs on people for the club. Tamaki dropped his things for the night in Kyouya's room before getting another tour of the house.  
>"Hey Tamaki ever dream of doing it on a pool table?"<br>"Is is a red top?"  
>"But of course."<br>"Then by all means lead the way."

Winter break started tomorrow, Tamaki was excited knowing that there was snow on the ground already. He was hoping for a white Christmas in the worst way. Both had seen each other as much as they always did. Kyouya sat in their classroom waiting for Tamaki to walk in. Tamaki came in and just rested his head on his desk, that wasn't good. Even if he had a rough morning he at least said good morning to him.  
>"Are you alright Tamaki?"<br>"I think I caught a cold from the weather. I was up all night with a fever."  
>"Then why did you come to class? You should be home resting."<br>"We have that big test today remember. I'll be okay. After the test I'll leave if I don't feel better."  
>"Well okay then."<br>All during homeroom Kyouya kept an eye on him, he seemed to be getting worse.  
>"Tamaki, go see the nurse." Kyouya whispered before their first class started. Tamaki didn't say anything back to move hastily to the garbage can in the front of the classroom. He was grateful he didn't have a big breakfast as it all came up.<br>"Tamaki!" Kyouya was on his feet before anyone else even completely realized what happened. The teacher walked over to Tamaki to make sure he was okay. "Kyouya help Tamaki to the nurses' office please."  
>He nodded and walked over to him, placing his hand on Tamaki's back he let him know he was here. Straightening his posture to walk slowly he made sure he wasn't going to get sick again before he took a step.<br>"I feel like crap."  
>"Don't take this the wrong way but you look it. Come on."<br>Tamaki was able to make it to the nurses and get examined without getting sick again though he felt about ready to. He heard the nurse tell Kyouya he had the flu and to go back to class since he was going home. So much for taking the test, if he had known this he would have just stayed home. He didn't have time to think about it though as he got up to run into the bathroom.

Under the covers in his bedroom Tamaki tried to hold onto his sanity. He was shaking and needed covers on him though he was running a fever and sweating like he just ran a marathon. All he wanted was to see Kyouya but he wasn't allowed to until his fever broke.  
>"Stupid flu, make it stop." Going into another coughing fit he moved the covers up higher. He rarely got sick and it turned out that when he did he really got sick. He woke up again hours late to see his father in the room to check on him. Thanks to the fever they didn't talk long before he fell back asleep.<p>

Days passed quickly for him since all he did was sleep. He barely left his bed and didn't have to leave his room at all since the maids brought him food. All he wanted was to be better so he could see Kyouya again. It was nice to see his father every night once he got out of work but he wasn't Kyouya.  
>"Master Tamaki you have a visitor." Sitting up in bed he saw Shima at his door with Kyouya behind her.<br>"Are you up for visitor's sir?"  
>"Yes, it's fine." He still felt shitty but this was Kyouya, he could last to see him. Shima stepped aside to let Kyouya enter and left the two alone. Kyouya moved to the bed to wrap his arms around Tamaki.<br>"Shima says your fever finally broke."  
>Ummmhmmm." He snuggled closer into the others arms, he wanted to enjoy this as best he could since he waited so long for this day.<br>"I miss you Tamaki. One day we'll be able to stay together when the other is sick."  
>"It feels as though that day will never come."<br>Tamaki's voice wasn't back yet, he moved Kyouya closer so he could hear him and he didn't have to talk so loud.  
>"It will come faster than you think. When you're feeling better we should talk about where we want to live."<br>"I thought I told you I wanted to wait until you took over first." Tamaki's voice broke up as he pushed it to push his statement. He wasn't letting Kyouya give up on his dream of succeeding for his sake.  
>"Tamaki that may never happen, who knows what my father will do. I don't want to wait on a maybe to start our life together. I love you and want to be with you as soon as we can. I'm not going to fight you on this. We'll talk when you're feeling better."He kissed Tamaki's forehead knowing that was as close to his face as he was going to get.<br>"I love you Kyouya Ootori."  
>"I love you too Tamaki Suoh."<p>

That night Yuzuru walked into his son's room to see him wrapped in Kyouya's arms. Not wanting to wake them he turned and left the room. He wasn't surprised to see them together since he heard Tamaki mumble the other's name when he had the fever a few nights back. He was surprised by the fact that Tamaki had yet to say anything about it to him. If they wanted to be together then who was he to say no, he would be more than happy to protect them from Tamaki's grandmother and Kyouya's father.  
>Tamaki woke up two days after Kyouya's visit, the Tuesday before Christmas which was that Thursday, feeling loads better. He actually had the energy and desire to move off the bed and leave the room. It was about time that he really started to feel better. He could tell he wasn't a hundred percent yet but he was definitely getting there.<br>"Wait until I tell Kyouya, he is going to be happy for me as well." Getting dressed for the first time since he became sick he went downstairs for breakfast. As he sat down at the table he started to wonder how much better he was actually feeling. The queasy feeling he woke up with wasn't going away and seemed to be getting worse. As breakfast was being taken out of the kitchen for him he felt like he was going to be sick. Pushing out of his chair he ran out of the room and down the hall to the half bath where he just made it before spilling his outs out.  
><em>*What's wrong with me? Don't tell me I'm getting sick again.*<em>  
>It took him a good five minutes before he could even begin to think about leaving the bathroom. When he did he wasn't all that surprised to see Shima and a couple of maids standing outside of the door.<br>"Are you alright Master Tamaki?"  
>"I think I'm going to my room to lie down for a little bit."<p>

Going back to his room he laid down only to shoot back up to run back to the bathroom. This was nuts, he wasn't this bad when he had the flu. After two more trips he had had enough. He couldn't remember the number to the family's personal doctor so he called his father to see if he could contact him.  
>"You're sick again? Sure I'll call for you. Do you think it's the flu again?"<br>"No, it may just be a virus but I've been sick long enough."  
>"I'll call him for you and I'll stop by later so you can tell me what he finds."<br>"Okay. Thanks father."  
>With that he closed his phone and fell asleep. He didn't wake up until he heard Shima. Opening his eyes he saw the doctor with her, giving him a reason to actually get up.<br>"So what's wrong Tamaki?" The doctor started to check his vitals.  
>"I don't know I woke up feeling okay, just queasy but then I got sick and was sick all morning. I'm tired of feeling crappy."<br>"Well let's see if I can't help you." The doctor went over everything for symptoms or signs to only come up short.  
>"The only thing I can do is take a blood sample and see if that doesn't show something for you since everything else shows your fine."<br>"Let's do that then because I really don't want to be stuck in bed for Christmas."  
>"Okay then, give me your arm."<br>Tamaki gave his arm and looked away. He wasn't really scared of needled he just didn't like to watch.  
>"I want you to run all the tests you can on this sample. Even the ones that wouldn't make sense. I want to know what the hell is wrong with me."<br>The doctor got where he was coming from and finished up.

Being alone he debated calling Kyouya to tell him not to come over since he wasn't feeling well again and he didn't want to get him sick by not knowing what he had. He changed his mind remembering that Kyouya couldn't come anyway from the approaching holiday. With nothing else to do he went back to sleep. He seemed so tired; maybe he _was_ getting the flu again.  
>"That would suck." He mumbled as he closed his eyes. He was up for a little bit before his father came into his room to see how he was feeling though he didn't see that becoming a long term thing.<br>"What did the doctor say?"  
>"He is running tests for me. I should know sometime tomorrow."<br>"Well that's good. If it's just a stomach virus you should be better by Christmas."  
>"That's what I'm hoping."<br>"Have you eaten yet?"  
>"I've been a little scared too."<br>"Well come on let's get you something at least, eating nothing won't help."  
>He got off the bed to follow Yuzuru.<p>

The next morning Tamaki was just as sick as the day before. He couldn't wait for his cell to go off. Laying in bed he watched TV until he felt his phone start to vibrate in his hands. It was before noon, not bad. Scrambling to sit up he was sorry he moved so fast. Fighting the nauseous feeling he stood up to get water the maids left for him in a pitcher on his small table in his room.  
>"Hello, this is Tamaki."<br>"Hello Tamaki, I have your lab results from the blood sample I took."  
>"Did you find something?" Chugging a glass of water did seem to help his stomach.<br>"Yes I did. According to what came up you have high levels of hCG. Tamaki according to this your pregnant, does that sound possible to you?"  
>The glass he was holding slipped through his fingers, shattering against the table. He stumbled backwards to sit on the bed. So much ran through his mind he couldn't think or barely breathe.<br>"Tamaki?"  
>"Please don't say a word to my father about this. I'm ordering you not to tell anyone."<br>"As you wish Tamaki. Do you wish you make an appointment to come in and see me?"  
>"I…I'll have to call you back on that."<br>"Of course."  
>Tamaki closed his phone to burst out into tears seconds later. The thought of getting pregnant never crossed his mind before now but it made sense that it could happen. He was always at it with Kyouya and they weren't always using their heads. Kyouya, how was he going to tell him, how was he going to tell their father's?<br>"What have I done?"  
>Crying all day he managed to stop when he heard his father outside his bedroom door. As he saw him enter the room he debated telling him. No he wanted to talk to Kyouya first.<br>"So did you hear back from the doctor?"  
>"Ummhmm and he said all the tests came back negative. It's just a stomach virus."<br>"Well at least it's nothing serious. I know it sucks Tamaki but you look miserable. Is something else going on?"  
>He tried not to jump at that so his father wouldn't suspect anything.<br>"No everything is fine. Guess I'm just upset that it happened now."  
>"Why don't you get out of the room for a little bit? It is Christmas Eve after all, and if you haven't noticed it's snowing out."<br>"Is it? I guess I'm going to get my white Christmas after all." He stood up to go look out his window. It was coming down pretty fast; everything was covered meaning it had been going on for a while now. Trying his best not to slip up he went downstairs with his father to spend the night.

He didn't sleep much; he couldn't not when he had so much to figure out. A baby, this changed everything. He figured Kyouya wouldn't abandon him but he knew then his future would be lost. If he told his grandmother she would probably throw him out, disown him, or force him to get an abortion. He couldn't harm the baby, Kyouya's child. No he would have the baby no matter what. Still even with that decided he still had much to figure out.  
>"What am I going to do Antoinette?"<br>She laid on the bed beside him watching him toss and turn. He talked to her for awhile until he started to cry again and fell asleep.

When he woke up to the sun light entering his room he was hit with a wave of nausea that sent him running to the bathroom. At this rate his dad would learn the truth before he actually told him. As he sat back against the wall knowing he wouldn't be able to leave the room right away he saw Antoinette walk in, pull a hand towel off the rack and give it to him.  
>"Thanks girl, its nice knowing you won't judge me and you have my back." He noticed she stayed by his side as he spilled his guts out multiple times, he couldn't help but smile at that.<br>"You're the best Antoinette, you know that. Come on let's go meet my father downstairs before he comes up."

"Morning father." He walked into the living room to see Yuzuru watching the fire while he drank his morning coffee. He was grateful the aroma wasn't too strong.  
>"Morning Tamaki, Merry Christmas. Glad to you see you out of bed, are you feeling better?"<br>"More or less I guess." Joining his father on the seat next to him, Yuzuru watched as Antoinette sat in front of Tamaki's feet.  
>"She never leaves your side, does she?"<br>"Not usually. She loves to stay close to me."  
>"That's good; she is such a loyal pet to stay with you. I bet she is taking good care of you since you've been sick."<br>Tamaki thought back to just before and smiled.  
>"Yes, she has taken great care of me."<br>Spending the first half of the morning together Tamaki went back to his room for a few minutes. As he sat on his bed he let his mind fully take over what had been on it since he woke up.  
>"The only way for everything to work out, the only way to protect Kyouya is to leave home and leave him in the dark." The thought alone made him want to cry but he had no other choice. If he stayed then he would have to tell Kyouya who would lose everything once Yoshio found out. He couldn't do that to him, they both shouldn't ruin their futures. Besides he was perfectly capable of raising the child on his own, if others could do it then so could he. Where would he go though? If he stayed in Japan Kyouya could find him with his family's police force. That left him no choice but to leave the country, the only place he could go to was France since he spoke the language. Paris would give him the best chance to find a place to live and places to work. The public school system wasn't too bad either if he remembered correctly from what he had been told when he lived there. So he would do that then, he would move to Paris and raise the baby there. With that figured out he went back downstairs, he wouldn't be able to leave until tomorrow or Saturday since the bank was closed for the holiday. That worked, it gave him a chance to really plot things out. He hated thinking that he would be considered a runaway, he didn't usually run away from his problems.<br>"I'm not running away, I'm doing what's best, yea, what's best." Still even so going downstairs and seeing his father became extremely difficult. Being a host helped somewhat, it gave him the experience needed to show that nothing was wrong.

The day was longer since his decision and became hard to handle knowing this was probably one of his last days living at home. The longer he stayed here the more he feared changing his mind. Knowing this was to protect Kyouya he wouldn't back down. Kyouya deserved his life. He loved him more than anything else so he would let him go. That was something you did for those you loved right? Laying in bed once his father turned in for the night he plotted every detail. He would need money for the flight, getting to the airport, public transportation possibly once in France, apartment down payment, monthly rent, furniture, doctor appointments. On a side sheet of paper he wrote down things he would need for the baby but didn't have to get right now.  
>"Antoinette how am I going to do this? I need to take out so much money but if I take it from my personal account my father may realize and be able to track me down. If I don't take enough then I'm going to be in trouble financially once I'm in France. I know I can't use my credit cards because those will be traced but I need something." Going through the lists again he tried to figure it all out.<br>"I got it, my joint account with Kyouya. We have our names on it but we never check to see how much is in it. Plus, I can hide any withdrawals I make from him. Still I'll need a lot out of it." Trying not to cry again he moved to the head of the bed to step away from what he was working on and rested his head on his pillow. A hand rested where the baby was. The thought was unbelievable, he was going to have a baby, a baby whose father was the man he loved.  
>"This is my only option. I'll make it all work out, I have to."<p>

The following morning, after he spent quality time in his bathroom losing his insides and remaining sanity he hung out with his father. This was their last day together; he wanted it to be a good one. He wasn't planning on ever coming back here. He couldn't come back here. He would miss his father; he would miss talking to him, getting advice from him. That was it, he had to stop dwelling on it, the longer this continued the harder it would be tonight. After they had dinner Tamaki took Antoinette to his room to have her help him.  
>"Okay girl, I need you to act an injury for me. I'm going to act like a kidnapping happened here and you can help."<br>Getting on the floor with her he taught her what to do and the command to do it on. She was smart and would do what he asked no problem.  
>"I'm going to miss you girl I hope you know that."<p>

At ten o'clock he made sure his father was asleep before going through his closet. The plan was to only bring a duffel bag, a suit case would be to obvious.  
>"Okay girl make a mess." As he grabbed clothes to last a week or so she pulled off his bed comforter and took clothes out of the drawers he opened once he got what he wanted from them. Going into his bathroom he pulled his travel bag out for a toothbrush and took out the extra bottles of shampoo and conditioner he kept there. The less he had to buy in France the better. He had enough under there so no one would realize anything was missing. Shoving it in his bag he went back into his room. Antoinette did a wonderful job of tearing his room apart. Doing a quick sweep he saw a picture of him and Kyouya on his dresser. It was taken at school after they became a couple. Throwing it in his bag he made sure it could close. Checking his list to make sure he had everything he needed he took one last look at his room. This was it, this was really happening. He looked down as Antoinette nudged the back of his knee with his nose.<br>"What is it girl…oh hey thanks." Looking over he saw her holding the bear his parents gave him when he was little. Taking it from her mouth he wrapped his arms around her neck hugging her close to him. Tears came to his eyes and he let them fall on her.  
>"I'm going to miss you so much Antoinette. You're the best friend I or anyone could ever have, don't forget that." She licked his face as he pulled away making him smile and laugh. Putting the bear in his bag he stood and put the shoulder strap around him as he went to the window. Opening it looked down at the rose bush he had to climb down.<br>"If Kyouya can do it…"  
>Swinging his legs out the window and onto the lattice he fixed his bag on his back better and took one last look at his room. Antoinette jumped at the window whining at him. Hearing her cry at him broke his heart.<br>"Hey don't cry you'll be okay. Take good care of my father for me and remember the plan." Rubbing her head he smiled seeing her tail wag.  
>"Love you Antoinette. Take care." Before he thought about staying he climbed down to the ground. Staying close to the house and trees he made it to the front yard fence. He couldn't go out the front gate or the guard would catch him and everything would be ruined. The only choice was to climb the fence since there wasn't a tree close enough. This would be a lot harder to climb then the lattice outside his window but it didn't seem impossible. Making sure the coast was clear he started to climb up. He was right about it being a lot harder, not feeling a hundred percent didn't help any and caused him to take a breather at the top. Finally over the fence and outside of this yard he took one last look at his house. He couldn't turn back now he had to move forward. Placing a hand on his abdomen he took a deep breath and started walking towards the main part of the town.<br>"Good-bye father. Take care of yourself and tell mother I love her."

0o0o0o0o0o0o  
>So there is chapter one…not all the chapter will be this long I think. And I can see this being updated quite often. Hope all those that liked 10 years will like this, and if not then I'm sorry. Please leave thoughts.<br>~Femalefighter~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Tamaki walked down the main road taking in how everything looked at night. He had never snuck out of the house before; Kyouya always came to him when they wanted to get together at night. As nice as it all looked he hoped to get where he needed to be soon, it was freezing. His coat could only do so much in this bitterly cold weather. The only plus side was that it was a clear night so he had no elements to fight against but still, a warm place would be nice. Finally seeing the bank he walked a little quicker and pulled out his wallet for his debit card so he could get in after hours. Stepping in he could tell he buildings heat was off but it was still warmer than outside. Going to the ATM he noticed he would have to do multiple transactions and keep it safe until he got to France to convert into Euro. He could probably do it at the airport here now that he thought about it. Reaching into his pocket for his cell phone to do a simple conversion to make sure he took the right amount out he remembered he didn't bring it. He left all his major electronics in his room, laptop, cell phone, anything anyone could use to find him he left behind. Taking a pen the bank supplied and a deposit slip he did the math himself.  
>"Good thing I did well in math." Reaching his answer he got started. Getting the first set of bills and a receipt he was surprised by the numbers on it.<br>"Woah, Kyouya must have been adding a lot of money recently because it wasn't this high before."  
>Worrying Kyouya would put two and two together he thought about changing how he was going to get the money but he really couldn't use his main account so this had to stay. It wouldn't tell him anything if he investigated into it so he should be safe. Counting what he took out twice to make sure he was right he stored it in his bag and walked outside to get a bus to the airport. He had enough cash on him for that and wouldn't have to dip into what he took out. Standing at the bus stop he hugged himself trying to stay warm. Hopefully the bus wasn't behind schedule. Under other circumstances he would have been excited to be using public transportation for the first time ever but knowing why didn't allow him to get as excited.<p>

Settling into the seat he relaxed a little as he stared out the window. This trip would take a while so he had time to relax. The thought of what he was doing still surprised him, he was actually leaving home. He was leaving the country with no intention of ever coming back, he was now all alone in the world with no one to turn to, he had to rely on himself. Trying not to freak himself out anymore he didn't think about the fact that he would have a baby that would be dependent on him in the coming months. One step at a time, he had to take this all one step at a time. As the street lights passed him he could feel himself dozing off. It was close to midnight already and he hadn't been sleeping well for the past two days. As good as a nap sounded right about now he wanted to wait until he was on the plane. Seeing the airport in view he started to sweat and become jumpy.  
>"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this." Stepping off the bus he walked into the airport, he was older and taller than the first time he was here but this time he felt so small. Before he felt overwhelmed he started walking. It took him a minute to find his carrier to see if he could even get a flight out. He couldn't really look online before he left, he didn't want to leave a trail if someone accessed his computer. He didn't need it coming up in his page history.<br>"The earliest flight I have seating for is the two-thirty to Paris in coach."  
>"That's fine, I'll take it."<br>This would be the first time he ever flew coach, he couldn't help smiling over the fact that he was going to experience another commoner thing. Getting the total for the flight surprised him; it was so much cheaper than business or first class. No wonder commoners used it much more. Seeing the time he realized he still had some time, security would be a pain but it wouldn't take two hours.  
>"But then I won't have to deal with it." Plus he had no real reason to wait. The line to get through was longer than he expected for it being late but it wasn't terrible. By one he was past it and now just waiting for his flight to be called. Now he really started to shake and had to continually remind him to breath. Since he had time he grabbed a bottle of water from one of the many stores the airport held. He started to regret his decision to drink with his nerves so bad. Luckily for him there was a bathroom nearby, allowing him to run in there and not get sick in a garbage can. Sitting against the stall wall he forced himself not to cry, even as a few tears escaped he wiped them away and took deep breathes he stopped himself. When he wasn't scared that he would get sick again he left the stall. Staring at himself in the mirror he saw how horrible he looked. A twelve hour flight would do him wonders in the sleep department.<br>"Flight 275 to Paris, France is now boarding at terminal 1. Flight 275 to Paris, France is now boarding at terminal 1."  
>Splashing water on his face he forced himself to turn and walk out the door.<p>

On the plane he happily settled into his eat, now he could relax. He noticed a difference in coach then first class but it certainly wasn't horrible. As the flight got underway he got comfortable. He had a twelve hour and twenty minute flight in front of him. At least eight hours of it would be bed time. Curling up the best he could he tried to shut his eyes. Okay now he found a major difference, seats that don't recline. It should have been a standard feature for a flight this long but he would manage. Having the ability to fall asleep anyplace in any position definitely had its perks. Just getting comfortable enough to close his eyes he jumped up and out of the chair, it was a good thing the bathroom was right behind him. Deep down he got the feeling this would go on for a while, which wasn't at all what he needed. He had a twelve hour flight, the last thing he wanted to do was spend it in the bathroom.

After four hours of constantly running back and forth he was finally able to settle down. The person next to him kept staring at him which drove him nuts. If they wanted to ask they should just do it. The whole staring thing was really getting to him.  
><em>*Just close your eyes and sleep for a little bit. You'll feel better when you do.*<em> Getting comfortable again he shut his eyes and allowed himself to drift off. His dreams were filled with memories of Kyouya, all the times they spent together, how they made each other happy.  
><em>*What am I doing?*<em>  
>His eyes snapped open to see the cabin dark. The memories gave him a horrible case of homesickness; he began to doubt this whole thing. What was he doing leaving Japan like this, leaving Kyouya like this? They were in love; they would have found a way to make it all work out for them. Kyouya should have known that he was going to be a father, they should have raised the baby together.<br>"God I am so stupid."  
>Hugging his knees to his chest he rested his head on them. He couldn't cry anymore, his eyes were too dry and he was exhausted.<br>"I can't go back now; I've come too far to just turn back. Besides I left for Kyouya's sake, for his future."  
>Closing his eyes he fell back asleep as he was. This time there were no dreams, no memories, no thoughts about the future, finally his mind could rest for a little while.<p>

Stepping out of the terminal he couldn't help but look around, he was really back in France. Seeing that it was after five pm he tightened his grip on his duffel bag and started walking out of the airport. He couldn't waste time, he needed a place to stay before it got too dark and he needed to eat something. The last thing he really ate was dinner in Japan, which his body decided not to keep in him and the meals on the plane he barely touched. Getting a paper with apartment rentals in it he searched for cheaper places in the area. He wasn't looking for fancy, fancy would cost more. Circling a few he asked for basic directions to the closest one to start with. If he couldn't rent out something tonight because if paperwork he could go to some cheap motel, that wasn't something he wanted to do at all but it beat living on the streets for the night.

Arriving at the first apartment complex he was happily surprised to see the super still on duty. Keeping his confidence high he walked over to him at his office.  
>"Can I help you with something kid?<br>"Yes, actually you can. I would like to inquire about the rooms your renting out here."  
>He could tell the man was looking over him from head to toe.<br>"How old are you?"  
>"I'm sixteen sir."<br>"Forget it. I don't rent to minors."  
>"But I…"<br>"I said forget it; now beat it before I throw you out by force!"  
>Walking out he stopped down the street at the corner for the second address he could look into. At least he was a lot closer to it now since he walked half way already.<p>

The second apartment wasn't any better; he reached the third one with a feeling it wasn't going to go any better. After being thrown out of there and laughed at for even thinking they would do it he walked to an ally way to sit. It was after seven already and completely dark. Logic told him to get a motel room for the night and try again tomorrow but at the same time he didn't think they would rent out a room to him either.  
>"Now what am I going to do?" He never thought his age would be a problem. If he couldn't get a place to stay then what would he do? If the government found out then they would take the child away from him once they were born. He didn't want that to happen. Not saying they wouldn't go to a loving family but he didn't want to lose or hand over his baby. Hugging his knees he tried to stay warm while he thought of something.<br>"Oh Kyouya…" Closing his eyes he didn't see the person come out of the building he leaning against.  
>"Are you lost? It's freezing out you should be indoors."<br>Hearing someone close to him he woke up and quickly stood with the help of the building.  
>"S…sorry I didn't mean to disturb your business; I'll just be on my way."<br>He didn't want to be yelled at again for loitering. Just because the woman was older didn't mean she was nice.  
>"What's your name child?"<br>"Su…. Tamaki Suoh, Madame."  
>"You shouldn't stay out here in this cold or you'll get sick. It may snow again tonight so you better hurry home."<br>"Oh okay, thank you for telling me."  
>Now he really had to find a place to stay the night, being stuck outdoors in a snow storm would not be good.<br>"Why not come inside for a little while and warm up. I just closed shop but everything should still be warm."  
>"Oh no thank you. I don't want to be a bother and I really don't have the money to pay you."<br>"It's on the house now come on, I insist."  
>Feeling he didn't have a choice he followed her into the side entrance and into the kitchen behind a small café.<br>"Go ahead and relax at the table, I'll get you some soup. It's onion, you can choose if you want the cheese or not, it will only take a second to melt over."  
>"You really don't have to, I'm fine really. I should really go." As he went to stand he heard his stomach growl. The woman gave him a look to sit back down and placed the soup in front of him<br>"Here you go, enjoy, I promise you its good."  
>Sitting back down, he took a bite, happily taking his spoon down for more he was eternally grateful.<br>"Where is home for you Tamaki? Do you live far from here?"  
>Looking up he debated what to say. He could say Japan and make it seem like he was in France for vacation but this woman was being so kind, lying didn't sit right with him.<br>"At the moment, I'm not sure yet."  
>"You have no home to go to? Surely you must have some place."<br>For some reason he felt okay telling this stranger everything. He told her what he never told his father, or Kyouya, the two people that should have known.  
>"I never would have imagined that my age would mess up my plans this badly."<br>"How old are you dear?"  
>"I'm sixteen Madame."<br>"So you still have a while before you become legal. Oh silly me how could I forget, my daughter and son-in-law own a complex they rent out. Why don't I talk to them and see if they have a place for you."  
>"You would do that for me? You really don't have to, I don't want to inconvenience you."<br>"Nonsense it's fine. I can even offer you my guest bedroom for the night."  
>"You don't have to do that."<br>"I will not take no for an answer. Where will you go for the night? It's much too cold to spend it on the streets. You'll freeze to death out there."  
>"Thank you Madame. You're too kind, how can I ever repay you?"<br>"You can promise me you'll try your hardest to have a good life and make something out of it."  
>"I'll try my best Madame; that is the best I can do."<br>"Good to hear."  
>She placed more food in front of him and as none of it bothered him he dug in. Real French cooking, how he missed it. The chiefs he had at home, while they did a good job it really couldn't compare. Once he finished he helped her clean up, it was the least he could do to repay her for her kindness.<p>

"Madame may I ask something? Why are you helping me? I am grateful but I don't know you do I? So why help a complete stranger?"  
>"Tamaki child, the world is full of people that turn their back on each other. They have forgotten that we all need each other to survive. Those of us that can, need to help those that are in need. One day the roles just may very well be reversed. I can tell your trying you're hardest to do what is right, you are only human and made a mistake but you're trying to make it all work out. I cannot ignore that fact the way many others do."<br>"Please know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart and please know that if I get the chance to give back I will."  
>"I hope you do get the chance as well but if you don't then always make sure you can take care of your child."<br>"I will, I know I can promise you that will happen."  
>"Very good. Now come I bet you want to relax, the bedroom has an attached bathroom you can use as you please."<p>

Taking his bag he followed her upstairs to the room. It felt strange to be spending the night here when he didn't know her. Unless, he knew her from when he lived here with his mother? No she would have mentioned it earlier.  
>"Here you go dear, make yourself at home. This room used to be my daughters but since she moved out to live with her husband I converted it into a guest bedroom."<br>"Thank you again for this but you really don't have to."  
>"Enough of that. You will spend the night and tomorrow we will take to my daughter understand."<br>"Yes Madame."

After he showered he laid on the bed to try and fall asleep. Sleep seemed so far off as his mind questioned what he would do next if he couldn't find a place. He had enough for a flight back to Japan, he may have to do that if this failed.  
>"If that happens then I am truly sorry Kyouya."<br>The smell of breakfast woke him up followed by the wave of nausea. The sooner this ended the better; he really couldn't handle it anymore. When he made it downstairs he saw breakfast waiting for him.  
>"Good morning Tamaki. Did you sleep well?"<br>"Yes thank you. This smells…delicious." He didn't want to seem rude by not eating but he wasn't sure he could actually do it.  
>"If you're not feeling well you could just eat the pancakes. You need to eat something. Not doing so will only make it worse."<br>Taking her advice he grabbed a pancake to try and eat it to help combat the nausea. There really needed to be a medicine or something to help combat it. If there was a 'cure' for everything else then why not for this?  
>"Whenever you're done eating and ready to go we will. You're in no rush though. I don't need to be here for the café to open. My staff can manage without me."<br>Scared to eat too much he finished up and ran back upstairs, grabbing his bag and headed back down.  
>"I'm ready to go."<br>Zipping his coat up and allowing his body heat to keep him warm outside he tried to not worry about what could happen next. He had to have faith in this woman and how open her heart was; something so big had to have been passed to her daughter.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I know I know slow moving. It should start to pick up next chapter so bare with me. Please review and leave any thoughts or ideas.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Tamaki followed the older woman down the street and over alleyway after alleyway. He felt bad for asking her to stop a few times as the nausea got worse. Stopping to breath seemed to help since he hadn't gotten sick yet but he still wished it could just be over.  
>"We're almost there sweetie I promise my daughters building is just at the end of the road here."<br>"I'm sorry to be taking so long. I know you have a business to get back to." Putting his hands on the outside wall of a building he took in large inhales.  
>"This is insane, I never would have guess morning sickness would be this bad. And really why call it morning sickness when it lasts all day."<br>She laughed gently as she waited patiently for Tamaki to be stable again. Pushing away he turned to her and got closer.  
>"Please tell me the truth, does it get easier?"<br>From the nausea he felt like he ran a marathon, he was out of breath and tired. He had only been up for an hour and he was ready for a nap.  
>"It never really gets easier but you feel better after a while."<br>"I'll take feeling better over it getting easier."  
>He cracked a smile as they continued walking. Seeing the building made him excited as well as nervous. It looked nice meaning the rent could be high, higher than he could afford anyway. That would be his luck; he finally found a place to not be able to afford it. No, he couldn't think that, everything would work out; he would have a place by the end of the day. They walked around the other side of the building and used the side door.<br>"Good morning Maggie dear. Do you have a minute?"  
>A woman who looked to be about mid-thirties looked up from her little desk.<br>"Morning mother what brings you here so early? Shouldn't you be opening about now?"  
>"I have to ask you a question. Do you have an apartment open that this boy may rent out?"<br>Tamaki stepped out behind her to watch the woman, Maggie's face drop.  
>"How old are you?"<br>"Umm I'm sixteen madam."  
>"Mother you know I don't rent to minors, there are too many liabilities."<br>"But I can pay the rent and I'm not a trouble maker, I have never touched anything illegal. Please madam, please let me stay here. I have nowhere else to go."  
>He stopped begging as he felt sick. Just great this was really the last thing he needed right now.<br>"Are you alright Tamaki? There is a restroom just back there if you need it."  
>Maggie was about to say something to her mother to be hushed. Tamaki nodded both women a thank you as he walked past them and down the short little hall. He could tell Maggie wasn't going to change her mind about him living here. He should have known it would have happened. Getting his hopes up had been a stupid idea.<p>

When he got back to them he saw an odd look on Maggie's face. It had reminded him of someone who just gave up out of frustration.  
>"Rent must be met every month on time. If you skip even one payment I will have to evict you. You can do weekly payments so long as it covers the total amount at the end of the month. All utilities are included in the rent as well.<br>She handed him a paper with the rules of the building and the rent. It was more than the others but not by much, he should be able to make it work.  
>"Thank you madam, very much. Thank you both for all your help and kindness. Where do I sign?<p>

Seeing the surprised look on Maggie's face when he pulled out the cash for the initial down payment he explained to both of them what he did.  
>"I had enough yen converted over for me to get started here. I couldn't allow anyone to follow me here."<br>After checking to make sure it wasn't fake he was taken to his new place. Unlocking the door he wanted to cry, not in a bad way though. The apartment was a nice size, completely empty besides the kitchen area but it wasn't something super small. It was perfect to raise his child in. Turning to them he hugged them both. He was incredible grateful to them more than they probably knew.  
>"Thank you both for giving me this chance. I promise you won't be sorry. And thank you for bringing me here and all of your help. I will repay you for all your kindness I promise."<br>"Your welcome Tamaki and don't worry about paying me back you owe me nothing. Take care and stop by my café from time to time alright."  
>"I will thank you."<p>

When they left him he looked around the giant space he had that was the kitchen and living room. He really needed to get furniture, and food. Both could be a problem though, he couldn't spend all of his money in furniture and he didn't want to not keep down anything he ate. Sitting on the floor in the middle of the room he counted what he had left. The extra he shelled out for the apartment wasn't helping but he still had enough for food.  
>"Oh crap." As he thought about what to get in terms of food it dawned on him that he didn't know how to cook. It had never been a problem before now so it never dawned on him. Well he had to learn and he had two possible ways of learning, either buy a cookbook or have someone teach him. Maybe he could go to the woman he met last night, he felt bad for never learning her name. She had done so much for him and he had no proper way to thank her.<br>"A cookbook would probably be a good investment and this is France after all finding one won't be hard."  
>With that he made a small little shopping list and went back out. It had snowed last night making him even more grateful that he had stayed warm during it. Luckily he didn't have a long walk since there was a store not too far from the apartment. The first thing he picked up was a few items that were known to help settle nausea without being medication and some things that wouldn't go bad right away. Until he found a job this money had to last.<p>

Getting back into his apartment he just stood in the doorway. He still couldn't believe that this was his. Putting his groceries away he went through his duffel bag and put away what he could. It seemed everything but bathroom things and his suit had to stay in the bag.  
>"Okay the day is still young and I don't feel ready to throw up right now so I need to look for work and a doctor.'<br>He threw around waiting to see a doctor but feared it wouldn't be good for the baby to wait. Thinking about how to find someone he decided to go next door to borrow their phone book, also a great way to meet the neighbors. Fixing his hair he a little he waited for someone to answer the door.  
>"Can I help you?" An older man opened the door a crack to see him.<br>"Hello sir, sorry to bother you. My name is Tamaki Suoh and I just moved in next to you. I was wondering if I could borrow your phonebook?" The man grumbled before closing the door and reopening it to let Tamaki in.  
>"Thank you Monsieur." While he waited he met the man's wife who seemed a lot nicer then he did.<br>"Here." He came back to hand the book over and walked away.  
>"Thank you again Monsieur. I'll give it right back."<br>Saying good bye to the wife he left and went back to his place. Sitting back on the floor he started his search. He had no idea who he was really looking for, was there really a difference? Basing it off distance from here he found one not too far. Happy the apartment came with a phone that worked he called to see if he could even see them. Hanging up he smiled knowing things were going pretty well so far. He needed to buy a paper and look for a job though or else this easiness wouldn't last long. Debating how to go job hunting he heard a knock at the door. Following his gut feeling he grabbed the phonebook he was done with. Looking through the little hole in the door he saw it was the woman from next door he just met along with a few other people.

"Greeting Tamaki, we came to welcome you to the building.  
>Letting them in he apologized for lack of manners. He had nothing for them to sit on, and nothing for him to serve for them. This was a <em>great <em>first impression. They didn't seem to mind though as they handed him food, it was still hot but how did they make it so quickly? He had only moved in a few hours ago. They all stood in the kitchen and talked for almost two hours. He couldn't believe it, how did time move so fast? When they were leaving one stopped him, if he remembered correctly her name was Julie.  
>"I have a friend who I believe is hiring right now. If you like I can see if they can interview you."<br>"That would be great, thank you very much."  
>"Don't mention it, happy to help." She hugged him before leaving him alone in the apartment.<p>

With a smile on his face he walked to where he put the food they brought and let his mouth water. It was a good thing he bought silverware at the store. Knowing he would be sorry later he dug in. Today was a good day; he started making new friends, had a place of his own, had a doctor's appointment next week, and could possibly have a job interview. Grabbing what he was eating he walked into the bedroom to double check his suit. He thought he hung it up when he started to unpack. Sure enough there it was, looking down at himself with a fork in his mouth he looked at the suit.  
>"I guess I should make sure it fits but…" Sighing he put the food away to walk back into the bed room to change. He was surprised to see a gap between his pants and waist. It wasn't large but it was there, he had really lost weight. He knew it was being sick for days and the flu from the other week but it just seemed funny to him.<br>"Is this even healthy for me though?" He had always heard people gaining weight while pregnant but not losing weight. Knowing worrying wouldn't do anything he changed back and dragged his duffel bag closer to him. He was sleepy, he had done nothing really but he was up for a nap. This could be a problem though; he had nothing to sleep on. The apartment had no bed and he had nothing on him. Not wanting to spend money though he pulled out his sweaters, he laid down and covered his body with them and his winter coat. The duffel bag wasn't completely uncomfortable to lay on. Before he knew it he passed out for a few hours.

He woke up to the sun setting, an alarm clock; tomorrow he was buying a clock of some sort. He brought a watch but something else was definitely needed. Not even bothering to clean up where he slept he walked to his bedroom window. He still couldn't get over the facts; he was living in France again, this place he was standing in right now he bought. Looking out the window he saw the Eiffel tower in view, he would have to go to the top one day since he was here. France, he actually came back, he was in the same country as his mother again. A part of him wanted to go see her but what if she spoke to his father? He didn't want anyone to know he was here and he didn't even know where to find her. Last he heard she wasn't living at the house he grew up in anymore. France was huge, Paris was huge, she could be anywhere. Maybe that was for the best then; if he didn't know where she was then he didn't run the risk of coming across her. Seeing the city get ready for the coming nightlife he thought about going out himself. There was nothing to do in here yet and with New Years right around the corner the streets would be full of life.

The further in the city he went the more people he saw. Just as he remembered peopled were gathering to celebrate the coming New Year even though it was a few days away. As he allowed himself to be swept away by the sights and sounds he made sure not to get carried away and do something stupid. It was easy to get his hands on some sort of mixed drink; they were all over the place. Someone was always trying to hand him something. As much as he wanted to try one and really be part of the crowd he didn't. He knew alcohol was harmful to the baby so he would be good. Looking up at a clock on the street he saw it was just after one, he spent much longer here then he thought he had. He had a lot to do still so he couldn't sleep in too late. Going home he walked in ready to warm up from the cold to only feel colder.  
>"Please tell me I have heat." He didn't remember Maggie saying anything about it not working. Crossing his arms in front of his chest he looked everywhere for the thermostat. It shouldn't be too hard to adjust, or turn on. Okay, he just saw his breathe this was bad. Searching every inch of the apartment he came up with nothing, he had to be missing something. Jumping up and down where he stood he tried to stay warm, that only worked until he felt nauseous again. It was too late to call Maggie or his new neighbors so that left only one other option, to just deal with it. It would only be for the night and it was already a quarter to two in the morning. He could last until the sun came up. Going into his bedroom he kept himself warm by bunching up in his coat and covering himself in the clothes he brought. It wasn't much but it was the best he could do in terms of blankets. Curling himself up as tightly as he could he tried his best to get comfortable and fall asleep.<p>

It was a rough night, waking up at the very first rays of sun he sat up with his teeth chattering. Looking at his watch he noticed that he had only been asleep for a few hours. Being so cold he knew trying to go back to bed was pointless, his only hope now was a hot shower, a very hot shower. He couldn't express how happy he was to see steam rising from the water, having hot water was making up for the fact that he had no heat. The water burned his frozen skin yet he couldn't not stand right under the shower head. When he was done it took a good percentage of his willpower to want to leave the bathroom. Happy that he had dragged his duffel bag in the room so he wouldn't have to leave until after he was dressed he lingered in the warmth. He had never worn so many layers in his life but at least he wasn't frozen to the bone anymore.

It took him two hours to be able to make breakfast, he thought about just skipping it all together. He had gotten tired of trying but from thinking about it made him hungry. How that was even possible he had no idea. The slightest smell would send him running but he wanted to eat, someone had to explain that to him. Taking two bites he was saddened by the fact that he lost his appetite, all that work and time to have to save it for later. At least it tasted well enough. The cookbook directions on oatmeal were easy to follow and for the first attempt having it taste decent felt like a huge accomplishment.

Finally seeing his watch reading a normal hour he grabbed his keys and ran down to Maggie's office. She apologized a dozen times for not telling him yesterday that it wouldn't be turned on until today. Apparently someone had to come and reactivate things for the heat to come on.  
>"Did you run the stove? That would have helped warm at least part of the apartment for you."<br>"You could do that?"  
>"Tamaki you never knew that? How did you sleep last night? The apartment must have been freezing."<br>"I managed without a problem but that is good to know thank you." He didn't want to sound stupid or run upsetting her by knowing the truth of what he did so he left it at that. Getting back to his house he heard the phone going off. The sound scared him at first since this was the first time it had gone off and he didn't think anyone had the number; he didn't even have it memorized yet.  
>"Hello?"<br>"Hi this is Julie from apartment nineteen C, this is Tamaki correct?"  
>"Yes it is. Can I help you with something?"<br>"I spoke with you yesterday about my friend hiring. Well they said to have you call so they could set up an appointment to meet you and possibly see if your what they are looking for."  
>"Really? That is great thank you." Looking around for paper and a pen he found a pen. Not wanting to keep her waiting he just wrote the number on his arm. Thanking her again they hung up and he quickly called the company. Before long he was running into the bedroom to change since they made an appointment for as soon as he could get there. Thinking that he could have a decent job and hearing the heat kick on made him happier than he had been since he left Japan.<p>

Walking up to the company's building he was happy to see that it wasn't some fast food place. He had forgotten to ask what kind of business this was before. If this was a true company he could make decent money; that would help. Especially with the higher rent he had to pay each month. He was escorted to the back where the boss was. As soon as he sat down he realized something important, he had no papers. He had no identification, no proof he worked for his father in Japan, no proof he attended Ouran and since he ran away he had no way of getting any of it. Well so much for a job of any sort. The man interviewing him talked about the company before asking for his résumé. Tamaki blurted out why he didn't have one on him and his life story hoping he would believe that he was who he claimed to be.  
>"I swear to you Monsieur that I am telling the truth. I have business experience but because of my current situation I can't give it to you." He watched as calmly as he could as the man thought about what he should do.<br>"Alright here is what I will do. Since you aren't enrolled in any high school yet you can work for me. The hours are nine to five Monday thru Friday you will start after the New Year. I recommend you attend a night school though at the high school that offers it since you will need a higher education for advancement. Any questions?"  
>"Just one. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday so I will be late. Is that going to be a problem?"<br>"No and that brings up a good point. If you ever need time off let me know at least a week in advance so I can make sure you get it. If not then I can try but I make no guarantees."  
>"Okay, thank you sir."<p>

Leaving he was all smiles as he walked the town for a little while. It was too cold to stay out long but having nothing in the apartment made it hard to run back. Since he was out though he picked up a pillow and comforter set along with an alarm clock so he could sleep a little better on the floor then last night. Spreading it out on the bedroom floor he sat on the comforter and thought about the future. He could so this, he could make it all work. Him and his child would live a good life he could feel it. Still, he thought about what Kyouya was doing right now. It was two days until the New Year; he must be getting ready for his father's annual party. If so then his plan worked and he could start to relax about being found. As he laid back exhausted from the crappy sleep he got last night his mind dreamt of Kyouya and their life had he not left.  
>"Kyouya, I love you."<p>

0o0o0o0o0o0o  
>I am so sorry I haven't been updating faster. A lot has been going on with school getting out this week and just life back home and blah blah you don't really care to know. I move back home on Saturday and will be starting working on Monday it looks like so I don't know if updates will get faster, I will try though. Please Review.<br>~Femalefighter~


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Standing on his tippy toes Tamaki checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror. Having nothing but the medicine cabinet he was willing to struggle. Happy with his reflection he grabbed the addresses to the doctors and work offices; made sure he had his keys and wallet, and left the apartment. The doctors' was a solid twenty minute walk making him really happy he left the house early. Seeing the waiting room empty worried him at first though, thinking he had the wrong address.  
>"Can I help you with something?"<br>A woman behind a desk was smiling up at him.  
>"I think I have an appointment, if I am at the right place."<br>"What's your name and I'll let you know."  
>"It's Tamaki Suoh ma'am."<br>"Yep here you are. I just need you to fill these forms out for me. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me."  
>"Ok, thank you." Taking the clipboard he laughed at all the forms, most were front and back.<p>

It helped pass the waiting time, unless it was planned that way because soon after he turned them in he was called in.  
>"Hello Tamaki I'm Doctor Heckerd it's nice to meet you. Before we jump right in I want to discuss with you what is going to happen now along with future visits. I also want you to breathe and relax because you look scared out of your mind. I know now can be scary but I want you to know that I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you and if I am ever do something that bothers you I want you to speak up."<br>So he did look as scared as he felt, whether he was scared of what was going through or knowing he was alone it didn't matter to him, he just knew the feeling was there and quite obviously. As things got underway that fear sank deeper and deeper as it spread through him.  
>"Are you alright Tamaki?" Sitting up he covered him face with his hands trying to get himself to relax again. He wanted to cry, call it quits on doing this alone. It hadn't felt real until now, until he saw his child on the monitor. He had left home, said good-bye to everyone and everything he knew but until now it didn't sink in.<br>"You haven't told anyone have you?"  
>Well technically he did, just not anyone that mattered.<br>"Do you want to discuss your options?"  
>"I know my decision." Lifting his head he noticed his hands felt wet, so much for not crying.<br>"It's okay to get emotional. I understand that now can be very hard on some people. I want you to know about the options this office has to offer for you and that can help you with things along the pregnancy."

Leaving the doctors he felt good and lousy at the same time. Things were looking good so that made him happy. Knowing he burst out crying after explaining his complete situation to the doctor, though she was very nice, made him feel crappy. He had to straighten out, he had to go to work, his first day of work. Arriving at the office he was led the boss's office again where they talked for a moment before he was shown to his cubicle and quickly told what he had to do.  
>"Come to my office on Thursday so I can explain something else to you. Also payday is every Thursday and you'll get paid for the previous week, meaning your first paycheck won't be until next week, understand?"<br>"Yes sir."  
>"Alight, I need these filled out and filed by lunch and these done by four."<br>"Yes sir."  
>Sitting at his desk he looked over the first form before he filled out the required segment. This wasn't too hard so far. It was one of those jobs people quickly became bored with. Oh well at least it was a job, with no resume he got very lucky.<p>

By ten he handed in what was needed by noon and by noon he had what was needed by four.  
>"Good work Tamaki, you have an hour for lunch and by then I'll have more work for you."<br>"Okay sir, I'll be back by one and get right to it."  
>This worked; he could look into night school while he ate lunch. The sooner he started it the better off he would be, getting a high school diploma wouldn't hurt at all. Since he brought leftovers from what the neighbors brought over the other day and terrified to eat too much only to throw it up he experimented while he walked to the high school nearby. He learned it was only a block from the building which worked really well since he figured most classes would start around six and he got done with work around five. He wouldn't be able to go home until after class but with the apartment being so empty he didn't miss spending time in it as much as he would have otherwise.<p>

Getting into the school he followed the signs to the main office to enquire what he had to do from there.  
>"Hello there, can I help you with something? Are you a new student?"<br>"Hi, umm yes but no. I am a new student but I need your night class program."  
>"Okay, than I just need you to fill out these forms. Are you under eighteen?"<br>"Yes I am. Is that going to be a problem?"  
>"No, your fine. I'll just need a parental signature as well. Or from a guardian, whoever you live with." She had noticed his face dropped hearing about parental signatures.<br>"I don't live with anyone. I currently live alone. Does that mean I can't do this?"  
>"No of course not. You'll need these forms as well then. These are payment forms; we offer aid for those that qualify. Don't worry, most do."<br>"Oh okay." He took the new stack of forms he was given, just glancing over the top page he could tell he was going to have an issue filling them out.  
>"If you have problems or questions we have a night counselor you can talk to. She can help you fill anything out."<br>Well that was good to know. "About how long does the whole process usually take?"  
>"About a month. But, if you can get the papers filled out by Friday I can rush them and get you started in a few weeks so you don't miss more classes."<br>"I'll be sure to do that than. Thank you very much for all of your help."  
>Making sure he had all of his paperwork he went back to the office. After work he would probably go back for help on the financial end. He never got that far back home to understand it properly. The next half hour he spent filling out all he could happily surprised that it wasn't too difficult. He had copied his address and phone number down so he could give it if needed and that was one more thing he could fill out on the forms. By one he had the first stack just about done with and was ready to get back to work. He was confident that he could make this all work out for himself.<br>"There you go Tamaki; I'll need these done by three and these by five. Got that?"  
>"Yes sir, three and five. No problem." Taking the folders he was given he went back to his little cubicle to get started. He would do his best to get both done long before then, really show his boss how grateful he was for this chance and that he was as hard of a worker as he said, that his trust wasn't misplaced in him.<p>

"Are you trying to make us look bad?"  
>"What?" Tamaki was stopped by someone grabbing his arm pulling him aside as he was coming back from the office. "No, of course not. I'm just doing my job."<br>"No one likes a suck up, shouldn't you be in school anyway. How old are you honestly, you don't look old enough to be out of high school."  
>"I'm sixteen and you're right I'm not old enough to be out of school. Due to events that don't concern you I had to drop out my former high school, get a job, and hopefully attend a night school so I could support myself and my future."<br>"What were you knocked up or something?"  
>"Joel that's enough! Leave the poor kid alone. What if something happened to his parents, did you ever think of that. No, probably not." A woman walked over and pulled Tamaki away from "Joel." He was grateful if not a little worried now. He didn't want trouble from anyone here and there was no way anyone knew about his situation. He just wanted to work, get money, and keep his apartment.<br>"Don't listen to him we are happy to have you aboard with us, Tamaki is it? I'm Donna."  
>"It's people like him that cause people like us to lose our jobs Donna!"<br>"What do you mean people like him? Yes, I'm sure honest, hardworking people like Tamaki here are frightening to all the lazy whiners like you."  
>She pushed him further away from Joel and closer to her cubicle so they could finish talking.<br>"Thank you; for all you help Donna I appreciate it. And I'm not trying to steal anyone's job I swear."  
>"Don't worry Tamaki no one here thinks that. Well beside Joel but no one listens to him."<br>Tamaki started laughing only to realize what he was doing and stop. It felt like such a long time since he laughed and not just a "I'm doing this to be polite but I'm not finding that too funny," laugh.  
>"Well I better get back to work but thank you again."<br>Sitting back at his cubicle he got back to work on the assignments trying not to worry about what Joel said. There was no way he knew he was pregnant, he wasn't showing somehow was he? No, it was much too early for that. He was just being paranoid again, that really needed to stop before he freaked himself out. Health problems were bad; he didn't want that in any way, shape, or form for him or the baby. Plus health problems could lead to no work, no work no money, and that was bad.

Finishing up before five with what he was asked to do before he was given more, this though he was calling "busy work." More paperwork but not what he had been doing all day, at least he could go home on time which was good since he hoped to stop at the school still. Attending school, whether it be night or not excited him, made him feel better about his current situation. He loved school back in Japan and really wanted to go back, graduate, get a degree.  
>"Mr. Suoh?"<br>Seeing the night time counselor waiting for him by her office door he walked over to meet her.  
>"Come in, sit, relax. What can I do for you today? Are you trying to apply? I don't remember seeing your name before."<br>"I'm trying to apply. I need some help with the financial aid forms."  
>"Then you've come to the right place."<br>Pulling out the forms to go over they managed to fill them out without a problem. He even learned the school had no issue with the fact that he was pregnant like some schools in Paris did.  
>"It looks like everything here is in order so you just have to finish filling out your things and get the needed documents. Where were you born? Was it here in France because if so just give me what town and I'll give you a number to call to get a copy of your birth certificate."<br>His eyes glistened at hearing that since that was his main concern once learning he needed proof of identification and his only id wasn't from this country. He would have proof of residence soon enough if not already so he wasn't worried about that one.

Finally home he sat on his bedding before laying out and relaxing. Today had been a long day but he had gotten a lot accomplished. Yes today had been a good day and only throwing up four times throughout the day was a giant plus. Throwing around the thought of eating or not he got up to heat up more leftovers. It wasn't really helping him learn how to cook but it saved him money until payday. Not to mention this chicken thing one of the neighbors made was delicious. Maybe this weekend he would ask them how it was made so he could give it a try. Sticking the fork in his mouth he heard a knock at the door, of course someone had to come at this exact moment.  
>"Oh, Julie, hello. What can I do for you?"<br>"Your home good. You don't have a computer do you? Or have you been on one to see the news?" Julie burst in with a laptop to show him something off it.  
>"No I don't, not really. Why what's up?" Walking over to his counter he looked over her shoulder. Instantly the blood left his face.<br>"Oh shit."  
>How did he not think of this? There was an article on the major news website with his picture along with information that he was missing and his father was asking for help to locate him. He was almost begging for the kidnappers to bring him home, that he was willing to do whatever to have him returned.<br>"Tamaki, you were kidnapped?" Turning around Julie saw him trying not to cry though it seemed to be a losing battle.  
>"I wasn't…I didn't…I couldn't…please don't tell anyone that that's me. No one can find me. I ran away from home so they wouldn't find out." Unable to hold the tears and fear he burst out crying hunched over the other cabinet. Feeling Julie wrap her arms around him to hug him he moved to cry on her.<br>"It's alright Tamaki, I won't tell anyone here or there I promise. I'm sure you had your reasons for doing what you're doing. I didn't want to upset you by showing this to you." She really didn't, she came across it when she went on the website like she did every day. Noticing it looked a lot like him she ran over to figure out if it was or not. She got her answer all right.  
>"Do you want to talk about it?"<p>

Tamaki sat on the floor in the living room with Julie across listening to his tale. She hadn't said anything since he started; she just listened and let him cry. It had to be so hard on him, to do what he did at his age; she didn't think she could have done it. He was so strong and clearly loved this Kyouya to give up everything for him since it didn't sound like an abusive relationship. He was trying to protect him at his own expense; that took guts.  
>"I'm sorry you had to watch that. You didn't have to stay." Drying his eyes with his sleeve he tried to stop crying while Julie moved closer and rubbed his back while hugging him again.<br>"Don't apologize I am happy I stayed. You're a good kid Tamaki."  
>He just stared at her for a moment, thinking about it a lot of people said that to him. But what he didn't understand was how, how was he a good anything after what he did.<br>"Sure you've done things you may not be completely proud with but your human and mistakes happen. But you're doing your very best to make the most of everything."  
>"I'm stupid and nothing more. I was stupid by not being careful, I was stupid by getting pregnant, I was stupid for running away from home."<br>"But look where you are now. You're in an apartment, with a job, with a plan for the future. Most in your situation don't have anything."  
>Looking around at his empty place he didn't feel so accomplished or better off. Right now he was barely making it, it felt like.<br>"Give it time Tamaki; I'm sure once you spruce the place up you'll feel better. I even know a few places you can get some super cute things for cheap. And I don't mean cute in the girly all frilly sense."  
>"Maybe you're right. Maybe I could go check it out next weekend."<br>"See that's the spirit."  
>Jumping up she remembered he had been eating when she came over.<br>"I should go so you can finish your dinner. How is it by the way? Do you like it?"  
>Getting up as well he noticed his plate on the counter next to Julie's laptop where he left it to see what she wanted to show him.<br>"It's really good. You made it? I was trying to remember so I could ask if you could teach me how to make it."  
>"You want me to teach you how to make chicken marsala? Sure I can do that, it's my absolute favorite food."<br>Pausing he started to have a mini freak out, marsala, as in the wine, shit.  
>"Are you alright, you're not looking too hot."<br>"I messed up, I messed up big time. See I told you I was stupid."  
>"Tamaki I'm not following you. You're not stupid, you haven't done anything wrong. Why are you freaking out?" Trying to put the pieces together she was able to put two and two together.<br>"Oh is that it? Don't worry its fine trust me."  
>"No it's not and if I hurt the child I'll never forgive myself."<br>"Tamaki listen to me its fine. I work as a nurse and I promise you its okay. For one I use cooking wines which are lower in alcohol volume and secondly I have proof that it won't do anything. My mother ate it all the time when she was pregnant with me and my siblings and we turned out just fine."  
>"Are you sure?"<br>"I am so please calm down. If you're still not sure I can show you other things you can add to substitute with the wines."  
>Looking at her to make sure she wasn't lying he tried to relax again.<br>"So finishing it won't do anything?"  
>"Not a thing, well it will stop you from being hungry."<p>

That night he laid in bed and just tossed and turned. He felt like he couldn't get comfortable or get his mind to stop. He was worried about that story being all over the country and someone turning him in. This must be what criminals felt like when they were hiding from the cops. Sitting up he started to feel nauseous, dinner, plus nerves, plus morning sickness equaled not the best combo in the world. Running to the bathroom he decided he probably wasn't leaving anytime soon and once able he moved to the little section between the sink and the toilet. Grabbing his knees he hugged them close while he tried not to cry anymore. He cried enough today. Still, he was terrified for tomorrow. He was scared to go to work if people saw that report; he didn't want them to know he ran away.  
>"Should I just go home? Maybe I should call my father and let him know I'm okay? What if I called Kyouya? No what am I thinking. I can't call either of them. I can't go back there."<br>Trying to fall asleep for the night he did his best to block out the thoughts.

Hearing a beeping in the distance Tamaki opened his eyes to see that he was still in his spot from last night. Stretching his legs out he tried to stand so he could turn it off. He had to push past his fears and keep moving. He would be fine, no one knew the truth, no one saw the report. If it was just online and only on the one website then it was just by chance that Julie found it. Knowing his father though, that message was all over the world in search for him. No he couldn't think like that, it wouldn't do any good. Skipping breakfast he showered and got dressed to head to the office. It was only his second day so he couldn't not go in

He was grateful his cubicle was so close to the bathroom as he was there every ten minutes. Maybe he should have called in sick. Stepping out of the stall again he saw Joel and their boss near the sinks watching him, just fantastic.  
>"Are you alright Tamaki?"<br>"Umm, yes, just fine thanks. I think I have food poisoning from what I ate last night."  
>"If you want, the convenient store next door should have something you can take. They are known to carry every sort of remedy."<br>"Thank you sir I will go see if it's not a problem. And then I should have those papers for you." Heading towards the front of the building to leave and "go see" he decided to go buy gum, this feeling in his mouth was gross.  
>"So how far along are you?" Freezing he heard Joel right behind him, turning around to face him he made sure no one over heard him. Their boss knew, he told him during the interview but he wanted to keep it a secret.<br>"How far along am I in what?"  
>"You say that now. But I know I'm right and will be proven so soon enough. I'm on to you Tamaki. You're no different than anyone else. You are nothing but a whore that sleeps around, gets pregnant and then tries to act all grown up because you're going to have a baby. Why else would you suddenly need a job and during school hours. Let me guess parents kicked you out and the father was a two bit loser that wasn't up to dealing with a brat. The boss may have fallen for your woe is me story but I could care less. I want you to stay out of my way. I don't give pity to idiots who got themselves into their own positions."<br>"And I never asked for it." Before he had to throw up again he walked away to leave the building. He needed fresh air and to get away from Joel. He had never been so infuriated with anyone before. He had no idea what he was talking about, and how dare he say what he did. He was no whore, he would never sleep with anyone he wasn't absolutely in love with, and Kyouya wasn't some trailer trash. What was his problem anyway, he hadn't done anything to him to bring up his attitude. He didn't want to deal with him once he did start showing. Hopefully he wouldn't try to hurt him; he didn't want to have to worry about his co-workers going after him or his baby. At least so far no one brought up the news story; that was a plus. As he walked into the store with his blood pressure souring gum sounded amazing. After the morning he was having he could chew the stress away.

0o0o0o0o0  
>Woot chapter 4 is up finally! This story is my main story now so hopefully updates will be sooner. That is if my classes allow the time to work on it. Please review for they make me warm and fuzzy on the inside. :)<br>~Femalefighter~

.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Tamaki tried not to get too giddy and excited as he opened his door, he had been waiting for this all week.  
>"Tamaki Suoh?"<br>"That's me, if you could just bring it straight back to the bedroom that would be great." He finally had a bed to sleep on, no more floor. His living room was taking shape as well since his loveseat came in last week and next week he would hopefully buy a TV to finally keep up to date with what was going on around him. Especially with the weather, a paper didn't really help with that once he left the house for the day.  
>"Tamaki, your doors, oh you already know." Julie stopped by as planned to teach Tamaki more about cooking. So far he had done pretty well, though he freaked out fairly easily.<br>"Oh hey look at you, finally getting a bedroom huh?"  
>All smiles he let her in so he could close the door from the cold air.<br>"Yea I was finally able to order it on Monday but it took all week for it show up. That shop you told me about really is great."  
>"See I told you it was great. I get everything from there and their sales only help."<br>That was true; they were currently having a massive New Years sale allowing him to get basically everything he needed for half off if not more. Julie had been right about feeling better once the apartment wasn't so empty.  
>"If you want to wait until their done than that's fine with me. I'm free all day."<br>"Thank you, you're the best. What are we making today?"  
>"I'm going to teach you how to bake. I figure your stomach will thank me after I messed you up pretty bad last week."<br>"That wasn't your fault."  
>He remembered last week pretty clearly, a few things they were making sent him running to the bathroom. Though, when he was stable enough to try it everything tasted great. "Still, you really think I'm ready for baking?"<br>"Oh yea, it's really not as hard as you think."  
>Before he could voice his concerns he was called into the bedroom to make sure he was okay with where everything was. His room looked so pretty with a bed and dresser. His clothes would be happy to be out of the duffel bag finally.<p>

"No, no, point the beater down when you, ahh!" Julie covered her face as batter flung at her from the mixer. Tamaki tried to turn it off with one eye as he tried to protect himself as well.  
>"Whoops."<br>Both where laughing before they opened their eyes to do a damage report.  
>"You're just like a little kid you know that."<br>"I've been told that, I told you I had no idea what was I doing. I've never used a handheld mixer before."  
>"And my comment doesn't even faze him, why am I not surprised?"<br>"What did you say?"  
>"Nothing."<br>"Tell me, come on, I know you want to."  
>"I said you have batter in your hair." Using her finger to wipe some off Tamaki's face that only made them laugh harder. "Well it tastes good. See you're not completely hopeless."<br>Cleaning up a bit they got the cake batter in the oven and made some lunch for themselves while they waited.  
>"Thanks for helping me Julie and being so patient. I know most would have gotten fed up with all my stupid mistakes. I'm really glad we're friends."<br>"Happy to help, you remind me of a little brother though so it was hard not to."  
>"If you don't mind me asking how old are you? And I get the feeling a lot of people I know treat me like their little brother."<br>"Well it's hard not to, you're just so cute and innocent. And I'm twenty four since you asked so nicely."  
>"Innocent? I wouldn't say that."<br>"Really? I think so. You don't look like a crazy, out of control person to me. I bet you never touched a drink or smoked in your life. Drugs probably give you nightmares."  
>"I drank at family parties if you count champagne and some wine." He wasn't even thinking about it that way, he was thinking about the times he spent with Kyouya. They did it everywhere, any time, that wasn't innocent. Not for someone his age or social class. He felt like such a rebel thinking about it now, and he really didn't know if it was worth it anymore. Now he knew why there were standards in life, social class not even part of it. If he had followed the standards, those rules, he probably wouldn't be where he was today. He probably wouldn't have gotten more involved with Kyouya. Though thinking about it that wasn't something he was he sure he would be happy with. Less complicated yes but happier, not so much.<br>"See, so innocent. God I envy you. I was a wild child when I was in high school. My parents sent me to a private school to get me to meet better people. What they don't realize is that private schools hold better parties because they are so against them. I can't tell you how many times I want to class hung over from the night before. I did straighten out though and managed to get into medical school where I am now."  
>"I thought you were a nurse?"<br>"Oh I am but I need more schooling to become a doctor."  
>"Ah, gotcha."<br>"So what about you? What are your goals for the future?"  
>"Me? Well right now I just want to finish high school and not do anything stupid to hurt the baby."<br>"Well okay but what did you want to do before you became pregnant? What do you want to do after high school?"  
>"…I'm not sure. See back in Japan I was supposed to work hard to be in my families favor since I am the only heir, sorta. But I was never fully interested in it. Though I don't know what else I would have done. I had a lot of ideas in middle school but nothing I truly dreamt about."<br>"So your dad is a big deal in Japan?"  
>"Yea, that's why he was able to get his "request" to be shown for me even in France."<br>"That's cool, so this really does make you feel like a fish out of water than. Why France though? Or did your dad put that all over the world?"  
>"Probably all over the world but see, I was born here in France, not to too far from here actually. It's a long story I would rather not go into."<br>"Fair enough."  
>Hearing the timer start to go off they went to check on the oven. Julie started him with something easy, cupcakes and they looked pretty good. He thought cookies would have been easier but what did he know.<p>

Tamaki couldn't wait to get to bed that night, his body was super excited to sleep on something soft. He had food in the fridge, furniture in the apartment and next month's rent paid in full finally, life was pretty good. Work was steady too, Joel still gave him dirty looks whenever they passed each other and he had filled out enough paperwork to do it with his eyes closed already. He should be hearing about school soon as well. The papers had been turned in on time and they told him it would it take a few days to see if he was approved or not. If he was than they would call so he could stop by for his schedule and start attending classes. He would have a lot to catch up on but he was ready for it. An added plus was that he wasn't getting sick as much anymore. So long as he avoided certain foods he could get through the whole day which was fantastic.

After work on Monday he went over to the school to go to his first day. He tested out of all the basic level classes which was good but that could make it harder to catch up on. Sitting in the class he focused hard on what they were learning. Math was always challenging yet fun for him, he was certain he would have no problem catching up in it. He would have to wait and see if the others would be the same as they week progressed. At least the homework would keep him busy at night; he was tired of watching stupid TV shows and being bored every night.

Coming back from class one night he had mid-terms on the brain. They were coming up in a week and he would have to study hard to do well on them, especially since they would cover things that he wasn't in class for. The study guides they were going over in class were a big help but he didn't see that being enough. Picking up the mail on the floor inside the apartment he went through it while he placed his backpack on the table and went to go change before making dinner. It was his daily routine by now and he had to say he was pretty happy with it. Seeing a reminder card from the doctor he stopped trying to get out his business suit and sat on the side of the bed. He almost forgot about that, well not about the fact that he was pregnant, how could he forget when he noticed his pants were getting tighter and the wish that sweats were allowed, but that he had an appointment coming up. That could be a problem now that he thought about it. He hadn't been putting money aside for it since he forgot about it all together. Every week he put money aside for rent and food which only left him a few extra bucks for himself since the rent had increased nothing to pay for a doctor with. He couldn't skip the appointment since he was nearing the end of the third month and he wanted to make sure there weren't any developmental problems so he would have to get the money somehow. Changing out of his suit the rest of the way he got comfortable and started dinner. Thinking about it he had enough food to last him a couple of weeks even if he continued to bring lunch to work so he could take the money out of the food fund. It may not work every time but for now it would be alright. If worse came to worse he could take a second job on the weekends. He would make it all work somehow; he had to no matter what.

"Hello Tamaki, how have you been doing?"  
>Stopping his legs from swinging back and forth over the examining table he allowed Dr. Heckerd to examine him better.<br>"I've been doing pretty well. I've been feeling better since my morning sickness improved significantly."  
>"Well that's good to hear. Your blood pressure is good; your heart is strong, which I love to see from you. Now I can't tell you gender yet but we can hear a heartbeat if you'd like."<br>"Can I also see that the baby has no developmental problems? Not that I've done anything to harm them but,"  
>"Sure, of course I can do that for you. I understand where you're coming from; you're younger than most and worried."<br>That was a relief to hear. He didn't know what it was but needed to see the baby before he could be certain that nothing was wrong, that all his precautions had worked.  
>"What would you prefer first? It's only a flip of a switch really so it doesn't matter what you want."<br>"Umm ultrasound I guess."  
>"Okay picture it is."<p>

"Amazing, that's really my baby already." He was in awe watching the picture on the screen move; his baby was so active already. It was a shame he couldn't feel any of it yet.  
>"That is, they are already fully formed so the organs can now develop in the coming months. You'll notice your baby starts growing quickly but I believe they already are it's just now you'll start to really see it."<br>That was something he really wasn't looking forward too, mainly for work but he was closer to a few people so hopefully they would help him deal with Joel. With a switch of a button Tamaki heard a swooshing noise coming from the device he just saw the baby on.  
>"And the baby's heartbeat sounds strong as well. I am happy to tell you Tamaki that the baby is doing great. You are also past where most miscarriages happen but that doesn't mean you can be reckless understand?"<br>He just barely got himself to nod since he wasn't really sure what she said, this moment was unreal, he wanted to make it last. That was actually his child he was hearing, unbelievable. For as scared as he was for the coming months he was also as excited. Though he figured as his due date got closer he would be closer to scared out of his mind than anything else. But he would take this for now and for as long as he could. His state of happiness got to last a little longer as he found that he didn't need to pay for the visit upfront but would be billed. He could handle that, he could start saving for when it arrived in the mail and then for future visits. In five to ten weeks he could learn of the baby's gender if he wanted and man did he want to.

After getting the bill in the mail the following week he learned a second job was a must. There was just no way the money from the office could cover everything. To pay for the doctor's and food and rent he would have to take money from either rent or food and if he didn't put exactly the right amount of money aside each week he would fall short on rent and that couldn't happen. The agreement he made was that he had to have it paid in full each month or he would be evicted, no arguments. He did well so far, he didn't want to change. Friday after class he went job hunting, there had to be something he could do part time. Lots of teens his age in the area had part time jobs so he shouldn't have too much of a problem. After trying two fast food places and realizing there was no way he could do it with his other schedules he looked for something that was willing to work with him. Deciding to continue tomorrow he started walking back to his apartment, a now hiring sign caught his eye as he crossed the street to be on the right side of the road for his place, though he was still nowhere near it. A convenient store; that could work. Maybe one more store tonight couldn't hurt.

"You want to apply to work here?"  
>"Yes I do, are you no longer accepting applicants?"<br>A guy stood behind the counter texting, clearly not really caring about the job he was supposed to be doing.  
>"No we are. Fill this out I guess and give it to the boss when he is here."<br>"Okay, will he be here tomorrow?"  
>"Duh he's the boss."<br>"Right, yea, true. Okay well thank you.  
>"No problem man."<br>Walking out he felt a little better at getting this job. If they hired guys like that than he had a pretty good shot which was reassuring. The sooner he started working the better. Finally getting home he realized he was still in his suit from work; perhaps that was why that guy gave him a weird look for wanting a job there. His appearance would give someone the impression that he was well off in some form, ha if they only knew. Though maybe it was better this way, they were more likely to give him a shot if people thought he wasn't some bum looking for drug money. Not that all homeless were like that, he was certain a lot were seriously looking for a chance to make a better life for themselves. Before he started his homework for Monday he filled the application out so it was done for tomorrow. Thinking about it if he took a second job he would have to find time for homework since he was used to spending all weekend on getting it done for the coming week. Oh well he would have to see what he was working first before he started to panic.

Showing up Saturday afternoon to hopefully talk to the boss he was hiring right on the spot. Hee had no problem giving him weekends only and Tamaki had no problem with six to eight hour shifts.  
>"You can't lift?"<br>"I'm not supposed to."  
>"Alright, that isn't too big of a deal. Everything is usually on a boat already so you can just pull it out or have Allen do it for you I don't care. Just match the UPC's on the product with the shelf tag, make one if there isn't and make sure the shelves are stocked. Got that?"<br>"Yes sir."  
>"Can you start tomorrow?"<br>"I can sir"  
>"Good than come in tomorrow at eleven and someone will show you the register."<br>"Thank you again, I really appreciate it."  
>So tomorrow he would start his second job, it sounded easy enough and it sounded like he could bring his homework in and do it when he was at the register so long as it wasn't busy. He got really lucky with this place that was for sure and even though he was just making a little over the average starting rate he should get the extra money he needed. Who knew, maybe he would have a few extra dollars, maybe, he wasn't certain about that yet.<p>

Rolling over in bed he thought he heard someone knocking at his door. What time was it? Glancing up at his alarm clock he saw it was reading nine thirty am; that was later than usual for him. Then again he had worked until four in the morning so it wasn't that hard to believe. He didn't mind working Friday after class but the hours sucked because he started at ten and got done around four. Getting up he went to see who it was.  
>"Oh Julie, hi."<br>"Hi…did I wake you? I thought we were going out today. It was today wasn't it?"  
>"Oh crap, yea it was. Sorry, come in. I forgot about that." He was awake now as he remembered he made plans to go out with her today. He needed to upgrade his wardrobe before nothing fit and Julie promised he knew the best place to go for great deals. So far he hadn't steered his wrong.<br>"Tamaki don't take this the wrong way but are you alright, you look like you haven't slept in days?"  
>"Do I? I hate my bed head. I know I got home late last night from my other job and I have trouble sleeping on my side, I find it completely uncomfortable but I was out once I was able to relax. Just give me a minute to get changed and we'll head out if that's cool with you."<br>"Take your time."  
>Running in the bathroom he jumped in the shower to wash his hair at least so he could at least try to get it to look better. Getting dressed for anything was such a pain anymore. He needed to look into a bigger suit as well; hopefully it wouldn't cost too much and would hide the truth from his co-workers. He wasn't ready to let them know his little secret yet.<br>"Sorry, I'm good to go now."  
>"No problem."<p>

"So how many hours do you work at the store anyway?"  
>"From eighteen to twenty four, it depends if I'm there for six or eight hours. Though eight hours are rare, if Chris doesn't show up I work eight but that only happened once."<br>"Eighteen hours? I thought you were only working weekends?"  
>"I am, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I usually work earlier than I did yesterday because I don't have the other job or class on the weekends."<br>"Do I want to ask what you work on Fridays?"  
>"Well I have class until nine so I usually work ten to four and then sleep, get up do some homework and then head to work from three to nine."<br>"And nothing has suffered from it?"  
>"Nope, my grades are still high and work is fine."<br>"Just be careful. Overdoing it won't do you any good."  
>"I know, and I am trust me. I may work long hours but the job is simple and boring. I sit around and do nothing after midnight most times." Julie tried to believe him but he felt Tamaki didn't see the bigger picture. If he wasn't careful she could really wear his body down and that wasn't healthy, baby on the way or not.<p>

Tamaki felt something was off when he walked into the office. It seemed too quiet for a Wednesday and if he read the calendar correctly it was only the seventeenth so some weren't in the monthly meeting.  
>"Oh good Tamaki you here. Please come in and have a seat." Steeping into his boss's office he closed the door and sat down across from him. He was a little nervous, this never happened before. Usually he came in, took the work he had to do from him, and left to start it.<br>"Is something wrong sir? Did I not complete something fully?"  
>"No Tamaki it's nothing like that. Tamaki, I have to let you go. It's nothing personal, I think you're a great employee but this decision is out of my hands."<br>"Please sir, I, I need this job. Isn't there anything I can do to keep it?"  
>"I know you do but you see I was bought out by a larger firm and they don't want any of my employees. I tried to get them to at least take you but they refused. I am truly sorry Tamaki. You'll get paid for last week of course and the two days you worked this week. I am giving you my contact information so you may use me for a reference if you want. I wish you the best of luck info the future Tamaki."<br>"Tha…thank you sir. It was a pleasure working for you. Take care as well." Taking the paper with the contact information and his paychecks he stood to leave, this was bad, very bad.  
><em>*What am I going to do?*<em>  
>Leaving the office he walked down to the doors to leave, there was no point in staying.<br>"See what did I tell you."  
>Stopping he saw Joel with Donna and a few other people talking together outside.<br>"Leave the poor kid alone Joel, us being bought out has nothing to do with him. It's not his fault the other company are dicks."  
>"Sure defend him but you know I'm right Donna."<br>"Don't listen to him Tamaki; he is just upset that now he'll have to do work again. What are you going to do now?"  
>"I have another job that I work on the weekends, I'll go see if they can give me more hours until I find something that pays better."<br>"That's good to hear, that you have a plan. I wish you the best Tamaki. Take care of yourself alright."  
>"Thank you, I will. You take care as well." He held back tears as Donna hugged him tight before they went their separate ways. He headed to the convenient store to see if they could increase his hours and see if it could be done as soon as possible. Rent was coming up and he had to have the money for it.<p>

He got lucky that someone called out from the morning shift allowing him to get some money for the day. Sadly, though they didn't need a day person as much as they needed a night one; so much for school. Oh well, right now a place to stay was more important. He could always try again once the baby was born. Finishing the shift he was on at six he went to the school to drop out. He never thought he would be considered a high school dropout, then again he never thought he would be considered a runaway either. They asked if he wanted to switch to days but he needed to keep the days open in case he found another job or could start work earlier than three some days. He got the feeling his boss was cool with overtime since he always hinted if he could stay past the eight hours when he got done on Saturdays. Hopefully it would be enough to finish paying rent for the month, if not then he didn't know what he would do.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chapter updates will hopefully be every week for while, maybe twice a week if I can. No promises though. Please Read and Review. Love you.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Tamaki looked up from his mess at the kitchen table hearing a knock at the door. Hoping he didn't look like the complete mess that he was he went to see who it was though he could probably take a good guess.  
>"Hi Tamaki, I heard about what happened so I wanted to see how you were doing.<br>"Hi Celine, I've done better."  
>Letting her in they sat at the table while he cleaned up his paper mess.<br>"Are you getting by alright?"  
>"Maybe."<br>"Tamaki, that's not a maybe question."  
>"I was able to get more hours at my other job but if I don't get the money I need this week then I'll have to find another place to live."<br>"Can't you get an extension; you've never been late on any payment up until now. I'm sure if you tell her your situation she'll allow it. Maggie is great like that. She gave me one once, it was for additional week only but that was all I needed."  
>"Not possible, I have to be on time with it each month or I get evicted. That was the agreement I had to make to get this apartment. This place does cost more than I originally wanted so getting a cheaper place would only help me financially but I'm still only sixteen so I can't guarantee I'll find another place."<br>"How did you get this place?"  
>"By pure luck. I met Maggie's mother who convinced her to give me a chance. I'm so screwed."<br>"Talk to Maggie, maybe she can help you find a place, or will give more time now that she knows you more."  
>"Maybe. God why did this have to happen? Right when I thought things were going well."<br>"Don't start getting all depressed, things can still turn around. Just keep your chin up. You'll figure something out."  
>"I hope so."<br>"And just think, this is happening now and not days before your due date."  
>"This is very true."<br>Still the more he thought about losing the apartment the more he wanted to cry. He was tired of crying though, he felt that was all he did anymore since he lost his job.  
>"Everything will out Tamaki I promise."<p>

Every step closer to home made Tamaki happier and happier. Today had been the day from hell at work and of course it only made the day longer. He couldn't wait to get home and go to bed already. Late night shifts sucked, especially when dealing with drunk people when everything else was going wrong. Getting to the door he stopped, his heart stopped beating as did every muscle in his body. Taped to his door was an eviction notice, rent was due by seven pm today, it was now one am. He had until noon tomorrow to pay or the eviction stood.  
>"Shit!" He just got paid today he wasn't sure if it was enough yet. So much for going to bed, he had to figure out what he was going to do if he couldn't pay. Going inside he grabbed his stored piles of money he was using to pay for everything and added it with what he got today.<br>"I'm two-fifty short, damn it! Wait, what if I took from here, no that won't work because I'm not adding to it this week. Actually I haven't added to it in weeks, crap." Not being able to take from his food money really hurt him since the other two saving "piles" were empty. As much as it pained him, he had stopped trying to save up to see the doctor, there was just no way. After getting the last bill from them he realized he didn't have that kind of money. Exhausted and fed up he put everything away and decided to try to go to bed. Might as well sleep on a bed while he could, come Friday he didn't know where he would be. Crawling into bed he curled up the best he could and cried. He wanted to go home, apologize to his father, beg for his forgiveness for running away and ask for his understanding. He would do anything he asked if he let him come home. That dream though was one he couldn't achieve anymore, not without the money to fly back to Japan. What if he called him or Kyouya? Asked them to come get him, surely they would find a way to bring him home. What was he doing? He couldn't go home, not after leaving the way he did, and he was still pregnant. His grandmother would still yell for his disownment and Kyouya would still be at risk for losing everything. Sitting up he moved the covers down to just barely covering his toes. Using the moon light he stared at his, barely noticeable with clothes, stomach. Wrapping his arms around it he just sat there allowing a thought to take over.  
>"Maybe it's time I seriously consider adoption."<p>

Clearing up from forcing breakfast down his throat he heard a knock at the door. He hoped it was Julie but he had a feeling it was Maggie. Sure enough he took a deep breath as he moved from the peep hole and opened the door for her.  
>"Oh so you are home. I wasn't sure if you were or not because I know you work odd hours. I wanted to talk to you about the notice."<br>"I usually work late nights. I'll be moving out by Friday."  
>"How short are you?"<br>"Two-hundred fifty."  
>"That's too much to let slide."<br>"I know and I know you don't have to but do you have any ideas as to where I could go?"  
>"As in cheaper places? I do, you're a good kid Tamaki I'll give you that. For a sixteen year old you're very mature not something I see too often, especially one in your, position. Sure I'll help you. I know someone who rents out not too far from here, the rent is lower but the place is smaller than this is. Not super small, it should easily hold a bed, dresser and whatever else you need with space to spare."<br>"You'll really do that for me? Thank you so much!"  
>Not thinking he hugged her before clearing his head and let go hoping he didn't piss her off. She didn't look angry, in fact she was laughing.<br>"You're really something else Tamaki you know that right. Oh and since I saw you my mother stopped by and asked about you. If you have some free time you should go say hi."  
>"Yes ma'am, of course, I should have sooner."<br>He could stop by today since he didn't have work until four and it was just barely nine. Though, if he had to move out by Friday he should get a storage unit until he found a new place. He was _not_ selling what he had, re buying it would suck. He wasn't wasting all that money he spent on what little he had since he doubted he would be able to sell it for the same price he bought it.  
>"Once I hear something from my friend I'll let you know, do you have a cell number?"<br>"No I don't, umm, but I will be home until three-thirty."  
>"Okay than I'll call you here once I hear something.<br>"Thank you for all you help."

Pulling his duffel bag out of the closet he started to repack all of his things. This could be a problem he had more clothes than he came with.  
>"Shit." Thinking about it he had kitchen stuff now and that wasn't counting whatever food he had in the cabinet and fridge. Plus he had to think about how he was going to get any of this anywhere.<br>"Tamaki, are you home? It's Julie!"  
>Standing from the floor he tried not to think that that was only going to get harder as time went on.<br>"Tamaki, I saw your notice yesterday. How are you doing?"  
>She walked in the apartment to see things on counters and on his bedroom floor.<br>"Do you have a place yet?"  
>"Maybe, Maggie is trying, you know, put a good word in for me."<br>"Well that's good to hear. See I told you to talk to her. So how are you planning to move all your stuff?"  
>"Boxes? I haven't gotten that far yet."<br>"Well you weren't planning on moving any of this stuff yourself were you? Were you Tamaki? Don't you dare!"  
>"I wasn't, not really anyway. I don't know, I haven't gotten that far like I said."<br>"My boyfriend owns a moving company I'll have him come help you. And he'll bring you boxes."  
>"Oh you don't have to do that. I can get someone myself."<br>"Tamaki!"  
>"Fine."<br>"Good, and you won't pay him, he loves doing favors for me."  
>"But," he stopped after seeing her face. Was it true that every girl knew that same look? "Okay, and thank you I really appreciate it."<br>"Happy to help a friend. Now can I help you with anything."  
>"Not really. I only have my duffel bag right now."<br>"Okay, give me ten minutes." Stepping away from him Julie pulled out her cell phone. He guessed she was calling her boyfriend since he could hear her call them babe every so often.

Meeting Maggie in her office he met her husband for the first time, man was he scary. He was really nice but the way he held himself and the disapproving stare were giving him chills.  
>"Are these terms good for you Tamaki?" Reading over the contact Maggie gave to him he noticed the rent was about five hundred Euros cheaper than what he was paying now. He could do that and maybe not even kill himself with hours at work. Rent had to be on time as well no expectations; he was used to that so that was no big deal.<br>"Can I sign at the bottom?"  
>"Go right ahead, I'll then fax it back to him and tomorrow you'll have to go over and put down payment and first month's rent. I'll be going with you so they don't try to pull anything on you. Not that I think they will but you're a minor things could always happen."<br>"Thank you so much. I really appreciate all you've done."

With that taken care of he headed off to work. According to the contract he could move in on Friday, he would have to take that day off then so he wouldn't have to worry about it. Hopefully with a much cheaper rent he could save up for the doctors again. He really wanted to learn the baby's gender still and he had time before his next appointment was scheduled so maybe. Thinking about the mess he made at home he hoped this shift went by pretty fast so he could continue packing. He hadn't gotten much done earlier since he had to wait for Julie's boyfriend to bring the boxes and that took longer than they thought. It wasn't a huge deal that it wasn't done yet he didn't have too much stuff to pack so he could do it before the truck showed up tomorrow.  
>"Good Tamaki you're here. I need you to help me before Danielle has to go home."<br>"Yes sir."

Julie came over early on Friday to help him anyway she could. She also offered to help him unpack at the new place which was great though he was sure he could do it himself. It didn't take long to finish packing though he hadn't done any of it after work last night like he planned.  
>"Julie, you said you're a nurse right? Do you think you could help with something?"<br>"Sure Tamaki what do you need help in?"  
>Tamaki moved a little tighter with his body, he still had mixed feelings about the whole thing.<br>"I, I was thinking about putting my baby up for adoption and I want thoughts."  
>"Well I know that it isn't an easy decision but I can't tell you what to do or what not to do. I can give you the address of a few places that are well know and can help you decide if you want to do it or not."<br>"So you don't think I'm being selfish or that it is a bad idea."  
>"You want to make sure your child is provided for, how is that selfish? I would talk to an agency and see after if it's really what you want."<br>"I want to and probably will, I just feel like I'm letting my child down if I give them away."  
>"Do an open adoption. That way you can still be a part of your child's life more or less. You won't be able to tell the family how to raise them but you can make sure your baby knows you."<br>"I like that idea better than just turning them over to someone and never seeing them again."  
>"Here let me get those addresses for you so you have them whenever you have some free time."<p>

Unlocking the door to his new apartment after filling out more paperwork and getting the key he noticed the place _was _smaller than what he just had, though it still had plenty of room for his things. It didn't look run down either so that was good.  
>"This is cute looking and still has a nice view to what's around. Oh Tamaki look at this!" Julie was looking out his bedroom window. You could see the shops behind the building leading to the Eiffel Tower in a straight line.<br>"That's really cool."  
>"You sure you'll be alright here?" She asked in all seriousness, he was young and in a tight spot, knowing no one in the building could be scary. Especially since he wasn't used to the area.<br>"I'll be alright. I'm only a few blocks to where I was so I shouldn't get lost. Now let's get my stuff from the truck. I'm excited to start unpacking."  
>"Oh no you don't, stay here, right here and don't move."<br>"I'm not completely helpless; I stock shelves for a few hours every day. Alright fine, I'll just grab the box with my sheets in it, and my clothes."  
>Rolling her eyes Julie gave up and walked out to help move the furniture in.<p>

Laying across the couch he enjoyed having time to himself without worrying about work for once. He hadn't really had a day off in months. For some reason he looked at his hand that was resting on his abdomen. Thinking about it he realized that in a few weeks if not sooner he should start feeling the baby kick. His son or daughter was growing, getting bigger and bigger and had no idea of the hardships he faced in the world. He wished it could always be that way. Sitting up he stood to grab the paper Julie gave him off the counter and the house phone. He was lucky this one was cordless allowing him to go back to the couch. Staring at the names on the page he debate if he was serious about this. Adoption was a huge thing even if he did do the "open" adoption he would still be handing his child over to someone to raise in his place. But the more he thought about it the more he didn't think he would be able to give them the life they deserved. Pushing a few buttons he brought the phone to his ear. It was just after three, someone should be there still.  
>"Hello. My name is Tamaki Suoh and I would like to talk to someone about possibly putting my child up with your group." Standing back up he grabbed a pen and wrote down what the receptionist told him.<br>"Tuesday at ten? That's fine, I'll be there. Can I have your address please?" Jotting it down with his appointment time on the back of the paper he had he hung up. So Tuesday; that gave him time to create a list of questions for them so he would be certain this was the right thing.

Nerves kept him up Monday night, if he got four hours of sleep he was lucky. He remembered dozing off at little spurts at a time but that was it. Hopefully he would have time to nap before he had work tonight. If not than today was going to be a very long day and knowing he was working until midnight was not helping. Deciding he was tired of tossing and turning he got up and showered before the clock even read eight-thirty. Knowing he had to eat breakfast he made pancakes and for once didn't burn them, it seemed he was getting better. Julie would be proud. Giving himself plenty of time to get there and to clear his head he left almost as soon as he was done. He didn't have to make a decision right away all he wanted now was information.

"Tamaki Suoh."  
>Standing he followed the woman down the hall to her office where he was offered a seat. Well she seemed nice enough, that was good.<br>"So how far along are you?"  
>"About sixteen weeks."<br>"And how old are you?"  
>"I'm sixteen."<br>"I see, so what can I do for you today? You seem nervous, try to relax I won't hurt you. I am here to help anyway I can."  
>Trying to stop his hands from moving so much he got his eyes to look up off his lap and at her again. He was ashamed of this, all of this, of being pregnant so young, to having no one to fall back on, to not involving the father, and of being here in this building.<br>"I would like some information about what I have to do if I was thinking about adoption.  
>"Sure, were you thinking about an open or closed adoption?"<br>"Open please."  
>"Okay, well what we do is ask you about what you're looking for in providers for your baby. We than match that with people we have waiting and you can choose a family you would like to learn more about. We will set up a date for everyone to meet here and you can talk with them before making your decision. You can do this as many times as you want until you've found the perfect family. Also we don't release your information to any of your candidates before your choice is finalized so they can't try to influence you. Oh I almost forgot, each family has created a scrapbook of who they are that you can bring home and thoroughly go through at your own pace."<br>"Okay, that makes me feel a little better."  
>"We understand that adoption is hard on people, we do our absolute best to make it at least a little easier."<br>"Can we start the process today or do I have to come back another time?"  
>"We can start today if you'd like."<p>

Tamaki walked back to his apartment feeling better than he had earlier. He felt confident that his child would be taken care and treated with the most love they could get this way. He had seven couples to go through and see if he liked any of them, if not they would give him more to go through. He had the option of choosing singles wanting to adopt as well but he really wanted his child to have a mom and a dad, ones that lived together and not like how he was raised. Thinking about it he wasn't sure he would have stayed in Japan even if he did tell his father and Kyouya. He wanted his child to be free to live their life however they wanted, to a certain degree of course. He wouldn't want to force them to take over for the family and not be able to do whatever they wanted; he wanted them to have dreams. That was something he loved about being here all alone. He could do what his heart wanted for once and not what he was told. Sure he gave up his fortune but it seemed worth it in terms of living his own life.

He barely got past the first family detail book before he closed it to nap on the loveseat for awhile. This time his eyes closed easier as he relaxed. He felt a lot better now than how he did last night. He was startled up hearing the phone ringing, answering it he looked at the time off the oven to see he was late for work.  
>"Sorry sir, I'll be right there. No I'm alright I fell asleep and I guess I overslept. Yes be there soon." Hanging up he ran to go change into his uniform and head over there. Since he started working there this was the first time he was ever late. Hopefully his boss wasn't too mad. He didn't seem it on the phone which was good. And Allen was always late with no real excuse so that helped.<p>

That weekend he took a walk to enjoy the nice mid to late March weather. It beat the snow and having to be bundled just to get milk. Looking around where he was he noticed he was near Maggie's cafe, he hadn't seen here in months and he had money right now to actually order a meal from her this time. Walking in he sat at the booth and looked around to see if she was here. Knowing his luck she wasn't.  
>"Tamaki, is that you? How have you been child?"<br>"I'm doing alright? I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner. How are you?"  
>"I'm well dear, how is your new place. I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out at Maggie's."<br>"The new place is nice."  
>"Well that's good. Are you hungry?" Before he could say yes or no she placed this amazing looking dish in front of him. "Enjoy dear."<br>"Thank you."  
>"So how are you doing? How far are you now?"<br>"Sixteen weeks, almost seventeen weeks."  
>"That's exciting, so do you want to know the gender? That has to be coming up soon."<br>"I do but, umm, yea I am."  
>"What's the matter dear?"<br>"I've decided to put the baby up for adoption. I just can't raise the baby properly alone at my age. And the weird part is that I feel happy about it. After talking to the agency and getting couples to choose from I feel at ease about it now."  
>"So than what seems to be the issue?"<br>"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"  
>"I can't answer that but if your heart is telling you it is than it is. Never doubt your heart."<br>"What if I can't understand what it's telling me?"  
>"Have you felt the baby kick yet?"<br>"No, not yet."  
>"Then wait until you do and see if you can't understand it then."<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Tamaki sat at the café thinking about what Amelle told him. She wanted him to listen to his heart and not just his head, only he really didn't know how. How would he know when it was speaking to him?  
>"Try not to over think it hun you'll know I promise. Now eat, you'll feel better once you do."<br>Not wanting to upset her he ate what was placed in front of him.  
>"Listen to my heat, can I really do that?"<p>

It had been nice to see Amelle again; he really should have seen her sooner. But he had things to take care of and couldn't spend what free time he did have in the mornings out catching up on a social life. Sitting at his kitchen table he sat with the first couples book and looked through it all. He wanted to see all they had to offer his baby. Their house was a decent size for the area they lived in, both had steady jobs and the wife planned to take a leave from work if chosen. It seemed the husband did as well to bond with the child better, though the wife was planning to be home longer. They had a lot of hobbies too which was good. He wanted his child to have a chance to try all that the world had to offer. Things he could never do even if he stayed in Japan. The baby could do sports or camping and/or nothing if they wanted. The couple seemed happy to sit home and read some nights too which was nice to know. Finished with it he placed it aside for the next one; that was one family he wanted to meet for sure and try to get to know better.

Pleased with himself he stopped after the fourth one for now. So far he had two families that stuck out and he really liked which was good. Now as long as they were as nice and as real as their books were than it would definitely be a step in the right direction. He could go to work tonight feeling the weight a littler from his shoulders. He felt freer to go ahead and laugh with his co-workers. That was something he hadn't felt like doing in so long, since before he lost the other job. Especially, when the one was in a joke telling mood and loved making stupid faces. Even though he worked his normal shift until mid-night and he was alone after seven he was in a great mood. Maybe life really wasn't as bad as he thought it was. Maybe he could handle this new life now and once the baby was born. He could finish school, maybe go to college, hopefully fall in love and start a family the right way. No, what was he thinking; he could never fall in love. Even if he went back to school and really made something great out of his life he would always be haunted by the fact that he left the love of his life. That he gave up their child even after deciding to leave him. He didn't leave because he didn't love him or because he felt threatened to be with him but because he wanted to protect him. He could never love someone else while he loved him and he knew he would never fall out of love even if they never saw each other again. It was a nice dream though, and dreams were good even when they make us sad. And how could he think of his future being so great and wonderful and full of smiles when he was making arrangements to hand his child over to someone he really didn't know? Because it was the right thing to do right now, he wanted their child to have a great, secure, loved, life from the moment they were born and he couldn't do that. Not all of it anyway. Not right now, maybe in ten years but not now. He didn't have ten years though, he had five months and that wasn't enough time. He could love them as much as the family they were going to but they would probably always have a rough life, trying not to live on the streets and he didn't want that for them. Not when he had three he really wanted to know more about. Calling his agency worker she managed to set an appointment up for April fifth; that was five days away, not too bad. And, if he met with a couple and really loved them than things could be arranged for him to see the doctor on time which was what he wanted as well. The agency made the wanting couples agree to pay for any doctor appointments and for any hospital stays before or during labor if they were chosen. That worked for him, not that he wanted people to pay for him but it secured that the baby got the tests and checks it needed throughout the pregnancy. Something he couldn't provide before. He would be able to relax in five day he could feel it. Once he had a plan for the future, a set plan he would be able to finally relax and take it easy. Well not easy, he still had to work but easier in terms of stress. Less stress for him, less stress on baby, healthier baby, healthier Tamaki. It really was a win win in the long run.

Sunday night Tamaki got home from work at his usual time of a quarter to one. He had had no work tomorrow so he could go to the meetings with the couples and not have to rush. It also gave him time to really think about what he would learn. Plus a day off never hurt. Sliding under the covers he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to carry him off into sleep. He figured he would toss and turn all night worried about tomorrow but as he dozed off that didn't seem to be the plan. He liked this idea better anyway. Even if he had a dream or two it wouldn't be enough to bother him and he was getting better with sleeping on his side. Not, that he wasn't before, but he was getting used to it so he was able to fall asleep faster.

This was awkward, not horrible but definitely a little uncomfortable for everyone. With the introductions out of the way Tamaki sat across from the couple. He wasn't sure how this really was supposed to work. Did he ask the main questions first? Did _they_ even ask questions? Or were they just supposed to answer?  
>"So Tamaki we just want to let you know that you may ask as whatever you like to us. Nothing is off limits for us. We know you only want what's best for your baby and that includes who."<br>"Thank you for understanding." With that he got with the first interview. Once he started he noticed the atmosphere became easier to deal with. Once he asked all the questions he had for them they just started talking and got to know each other a little better. The first couple was as awesome as their book showed which was great and a huge relief. Though if the other two interviews went as well then he would have a tough decision to make. But maybe that was a good thing, the harder the choice the better the family his son or daughter would go to. Finishing up the first interview he had some time to grab lunch before the next one. So far he felt really good about this whole idea, any remaining doubt he had going into this was gone. The other two interviews had gone well meaning he had homework. It was a good thing he had the rest of the day to think everyone through fully and while they were still fresh in his mind. He also had every day before work as well to think about them. He would reach his answer eventually he wasn't worried. And it felt like that answer would come soon the more he looked through their books and thought about how they all interacted with him.

Sitting back in his chair he stretched and tried not to smile too wide though it was there. He did it; he made his decision on the family. They were perfect for his child no doubt about it.  
>"I found the perfect family for you. I know you'll be happy with them." Resting a hand on his stomach he knew this was right. He could feel it throughout his entire body. For the first time in a long time he felt at ease with what was coming.<br>"I promise we'll always be close to each other and one day you'll understand why I'm doing this."  
>Staying as he was for a little while he stared at where his child was. "I love you never forget that." He was sure they wouldn't since he planned to remind them whenever they saw each other. Standing up he grabbed the phone to call his agency worker and let her know he chose. Making an appointment to tell the couple face to face of his decision he went to relax on the loveseat and watch some TV before he had to go to work. He had five days before he met with them. That was okay, his doctor appointment wasn't for another two and a half weeks. This was really happening, all of his fears about not getting the proper screenings for his baby were over.<p>

The night before his meeting Tamaki managed to fall asleep with minimal trying to get comfortable. Most nights he wished he could toss and turn until he got comfortable. He would take this over that any day. His eyes popped open as he twisted from being jolted awake. It felt like something touched his, but he lived alone. Trying to calm his heart down from being scared and his body from moving faster than he should he carefully looked around. The room was still dark but the apartment seemed all quiet.  
>"Hello?" Going to reach for the light to see if it had been a mouse that he felt he stopped. His mouth hung open as his hands dropped to his stomach. It was his baby that woke him up, they were kicking and he felt it, he actually felt it. Wrapping his arms around them better he bunched himself up as best as he could. He couldn't do it anymore; he couldn't give up his child anymore. His heart was telling him what it wanted and he could hear it loud and clear. It could hear his child telling him what they wanted from him and how could he not give it to them?<br>"You want to stay with me? Okay then, it will be done. It will be hard and I won't be able to do all I want but I will provide you with all you need. I promise you. We will never be apart. I'll make it all work out somehow." He stayed as he was for hours allowing tears to fall from his eyes when they wanted to. He was terrified of what was to come but he was excited knowing in his entire being that this was what he wanted and would make it all work out.

He woke up to his alarm exhausted from only falling asleep a couple of hours ago. He had to get up though and talk to the adoption agency that he changed his mind. He felt bad that he had gotten a couple's hopes up to then tell them never mind. Hopefully they wouldn't be angry, if only this had happened before he made the appointment. Maybe once he talked to his worker they could give him ideas about how to tell them. Surely he wasn't the first person to change his mind.

"Are you sure about this?"  
>"I am, something changed and I want to keep the baby."<br>"Alright then. We will inform the couple of your decision but there is something you should be aware of. Should you end up on the street and the government learns of this your child will be placed in foster care until you can provide for them again. That process can take time and require a lot of documents to prove you have a place and steady income. If it happens frequently then they will give you more of a hassle each time. Knowing this do you still wish to do this?"  
>"I do."<br>"Okay, than just sign this and you can go. Please know if something changes your welcome to contact us."  
>"Thank you. And thank you for all your help." Signing the paper placed in front of him he gave it back to stand and leave. He felt better now than he did when he thought he found a family. Yes, this was really what he wanted no doubt about it. This was what his heart was telling him to do an he knew his heart never lies.<p>

Having time before work he took a walk, he needed to talk to someone and one place come to his mind. Stepping into Amelle's café he inhaled the amazing smells, this place always reminded him of when he lived with his mom. The chiefs were always making something back then. He could remember going downstairs from his mother's room and smelling something being made from the kitchen.  
>"Tamaki, welcome, come sit here at the counter hun."<br>Amelle waved for him to sit near the counter where he was so they could talk.  
>"It's great to see you again Tamaki. Have you gotten any further in your plan?"<br>"I couldn't do it."  
>"What?" Handing him a plate with a slice of cake she came around to sit next to him. "Tell me what happened to make you change your mind."<br>"I heard my heart and it told me I didn't want to give up the baby. I felt them kick and I, I knew I could no longer do what I planned. "  
>"Only? Do you have second thoughts?"<br>"No, but I don't know how I'm going to do it. The whole reason I planned the adoption was because I don't have the money for anything. And I learned just before that I could lose the baby should the government see I can't provide for them. I'm scared, I'm so scared about to do now." Bringing his face to hands he began to cry, he felt lost yet he knew exactly where he was. Amelle brought her arms around him and spoke with gentle, kind voices every so often. He didn't want her to do this for him but this was why he came here, he needed someone to listen and not judge. He really owed her and he meant more than a few dollars.

Once he stopped crying and was feeling better they talked about other things, work in particular. With plans to keep the baby a second job was a must. He had to focus on getting everything he would need for them, not even counting the doctor's anymore.  
>"You aren't hiring are you?"<br>"I would hun I want you to know that but I wouldn't be able to pay you an amount that would really help you. But give me a day or two and I might know someone that can."  
>"Really? Thank you so much ma'am. I hope you know it means a lot, even if you don't know I appreciate the help."<br>"Happy to help dear. The place I'm thinking about is a bakery just up the road from here. Would that be a problem for you?"  
>"Well I know how to bake some things, if they would be willing to teach me I could do more I'm sure. Or I could work a register."<br>"I'm sure they would find something that you would excel at."

Feeling much better than he did before he headed back to his apartment to get ready for work. Trying to unlock his door he heard a voice. He had been lost in thought and had no idea if they were talking to him, probably not since he hadn't met his neighbors yet. Looking around he saw a woman running over to him it looked like since he couldn't find anyone else in the hall.  
>"Hello there, I don't think I've seen you before did you just move in?"<br>"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I moved in about two weeks ago.  
>"Oh my name, it's Celine. I'm your neighbor and glad to be as well. The last person to live here was a old man that hated everything. It's nice to see someone younger here."<br>"Nice to meet you Celine, I'm Tamaki and I do hope I'm better than that man though I'm sure he had his reasons for being who he was."  
>"I'm sure you will be."<br>"Well I hate to cut this short but I have to get ready for work but I hope we can talk again soon."  
>"Oo night shift that stinks but I'm sure we can because you seem really cool and who knows maybe we'll become friends."<br>"That would be nice."  
>"Until later than."<br>"Sure, see you later." With that she ran back to her own apartment allowing Tamaki to go into his. She seemed nice enough and if he had the time he would have loved to talk to her more. Not really having the time to dwell on it he went to change so he could go. It would be amazing if he got a job at a bakery, all that he could learn and having a job during the day would be nice. Maybe he could just work weekends again at the convenient store; now that would be great. He was tired of always working four to twelve Sunday to Saturday with a day off somewhere in there. Still, before he got his hopes up he had to wait to see if he even got the job. He wasn't trained, he had never gone to school for it, they may not want him. Most spent years learning the craft and it would be an insult to all those people if he just got the job. He wouldn't turn it down though, he couldn't afford to.

Groaning Tamaki slowly moved hearing his phone ringing. How he truly hated that sound when he was trying to sleep. Allowing himself to sit up he heard the machine pick up, he already knew he wasn't going to make it and wasn't even bothering to try. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he stood to head into the kitchen.  
>"Hello Tamaki dear, it's Amelle. I just spoke to my friends from the bakery."<br>Grabbing the phone he tried to fight back a yawn as he answered.  
>"Hello ma'am, sorry for not answering sooner."<br>"Did I wake you hun, I'm sorry."  
>"No, no you didn't it's fine." He had forgotten she had given her the house number so she could call him when and if he heard anything.<br>"I just called to let you know that I spoke to my friends from the bakery and they would love to meet you. Whenever you have the time dear if you could go talk to them they can talk to you about you possibly joining them."  
>"Really? That's fantastic. I'll head over there today than. Thank you so much it means so much to me. Your kindness towards me won't be wasted I swear it to you."<br>"Your very welcome sweetie happy to help you know that. If you need anything you let me know alright. And don't be a stranger you hear."  
>"Yes ma'am and thank you again for this." Hanging up he went to get dressed. He wasn't sure what to wear, a suit seemed to formal but jeans seemed so improper. Going with a pair of semi-formal pants and a nice pull over shirt he left. He really missed button ups. He wasn't complaining about getting bigger but not being able to wear what he loved was a bummer.<p>

He was a little nervous as he approached the place, he had no idea what to expect from them. With a deep breath he opened the door to go inside. A bell on the door rang as he entered, a person welcomed him as he looked around trying not to deal from the amazing smells, not that he didn't smell them outside.  
>"Welcome monsieur can I help you with something?"<br>"Umm, my name is Tamaki Suoh."  
>"Ah yes hello it's a pleasure to meet you. Amelle told us you were looking for a job. Let me get my wife and we'll talk. Please, come, follow me."<br>Following the man he noticed he looked to be in his mid-forties, he was younger than he expected. He seemed really nice and this place was incredible.  
>"Hey hun, we have a visitor."<br>A woman stood up from taking something out of the oven and placed it down as she looked over at them.  
>"And who is this? Oh are you the one Amelle was talking about? That was fast. I didn't expect to meet you for a couple of days. She told me you worked odd hours and wasn't sure when you would be free."<br>"I work nights mainly but I didn't want to be rude by making you wait since you both are being so kind by allowing me to interview here."  
>"Hun I'll go watch the shop and I'll let you two talk. Timer is for the bread in oven three. I hope to see you soon Tamaki." With that she left leaving him alone with her husband.<br>"Come sit Tamaki and let's talk. I don't want this to feel like an interview too much. I'm Denis by the way and my wife is Mirabelle. Please call us by our first names; we aren't fans of such formal speech." Well that would take some getting used to for sure. Taking the seat on the stool they started talking about what he could do, his willingness to learn and non business things as well. Still though he couldn't completely relax since he wasn't sure if he had the job or not.  
>"So Tamaki when do you work usually?"<br>"I usually work four to twelve, six days a week but I can probably switch hours I just need to tell my boss."  
>"Oh wow, for someone your age that is rough, that is rough for anyone though. Are you sure you can handle a job here? The hours would be early morning till about noon most likely since we open earlier than most being a bakery and all. We can give you longer hours if you prefer, I'm just ball parking since we don't know your entire schedule yet. What do you prefer, working weekends or weekdays? And do we have to work with a school schedule?"<br>"Whatever you need, I'm good with both. And, um, I currently don't attend school. It had to be put on hold for a while, at least until after the baby is born."  
>"I see, well okay than, let's see, Friday and Saturdays are our busy days. So would you be okay with working Thursday through Sunday and then a fifth day of your choosing. Would you be able to come in around six for those days, you can do a four hour shift if you prefer, if that would be easier on those days but you would be a big help during our morning rush."<br>"An eight hour shift is fine with me. Thursday through Sunday is great. And I can be here for six, not a problem at all." He could work at least Wednesday through Sunday here and then take off Tuesdays from both jobs so he could have a full day to relax and get things done, like laundry. That reminded him that he still had to do it, he was running out of clothes.  
>"Alright than, so talk to your boss and see what he says and then let us know."<br>"I will sir, thank you."  
>"We can't wait to work with you Tamaki; this job can be a lot of fun and that excitement that you have right now is what we love to see."<br>"I can't wait to work here as well; this is the type of job I have been looking for." He wasn't sure what he was looking for before but this seemed right up his ally in terms of learning new things and making people happy with the items this place sold.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
>I plan to keep this pace of two chapter a week up a little longer, at least another 3 weeks or so. Hope you're all enjoying it. Please review.<p>

~Femalefighter~


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Monday morning, after having to wait a full week before he could start he was finally able to start his new job at the bakery. His boss couldn't "give" him weekends only but was willing to have him work six to twelve at night and Tuesdays off. He wasn't worried about making it work out with the two jobs, he did it before. Waking up bright and early he headed off to work still curious as to what he would be doing. The couple was really nice and were happy to have some help, apparently their last employee quit on them all of a sudden and they hadn't been able to find anyone to replace them until he showed up.  
>"Ah, good morning Tamaki. Ready for your first day?"<br>"Good morning sir. And yes I am." He saw the look Denis gave him, right, use first names.  
>"Mirabelle is finishing up on the last few things before they are brought up to the display but let me give you a run down here." He showed Tamaki how things were categorized and each items name so he could start to learn them.<br>"You can look at the tags whenever you need too so don't worry about getting them all. And here is an exact ingredient list for all of our items. It's more for our customers to use so they can check for allergies. This is our cheat sheet. It has each items different varieties, any customer can get something customized to their liking but this tells them and us what is standard. Here, all our order forms are kept." So far he could handle this. Finishing up the tour in the front of the shop they went in the back.  
>"Morning Tamaki."<br>"Morning Madame." Gahhhh, this was so hard.  
>"Scared yet?" Mirabelle was working on kneading some dough while Denis went to get him an apron or something.<br>"Not entirely."  
>"Well that's good; we want you to at least last a week." She was joking as she rolled out the dough to be longer, almost like a stick.<br>"Ever make bread before?"  
>"I haven't, but I'm not against learning."<br>"I'll have to teach you one day then. Today though, you're going to be with Denis as he handles the rush. I promise you it won't be too crazy even though it's Monday. I'm not entirely sure what he is going to have you do but you'll be fine no matter what."  
>"Here we go Tamaki. For health reasons keep the hat on while you're working, apron is so you don't get dirty though you still will manage it. We do almost every day and we've done this for fifteen years now."<br>Putting the apron and hat on he walked back to the front of the store so they could get ready to open. The uniform wasn't too shabby, he could wear basically any shirt and pants he wanted, a blue apron with the store name on it and a baseball hat. You couldn't really beat that at all.

Mirabelle was right; the morning rush wasn't bad at all. He gave people lots of rolls and coffee, along with Danishes and other little pastries, so far so good.  
>"Well it's nine so it will stay quiet for awhile. Still hanging in there?"<br>"Yes I am, that wasn't that bad at all."  
>"Most mornings it isn't, though Fridays can be rough of we have that and cake pick-ups. We move slower when that happens."<br>They talked for awhile before Denis showed Tamaki the register, it wasn't like the one at the convenient store but it still wasn't too bad.  
>"Oh this wasn't mentioned before but if you ever need something, or can't do something let us know. You'll probably be working with Mirabelle most days so you'll be on your feet and moving a lot so if you need a break before we tell you to just let one of us know. We've been there, have two sons, so we understand. Mirabelle may or may not be back there with you once you're settled so don't think you're stuck back there.<br>"Thank you Denis. How old are you're sons, if you don't mind me asking?"  
>"Fifteen and twelve, so forgive me if I start acting like a father towards you. It's just habit, when I do that just let me know, or ignore me."<br>"It's fine sir, I won't mind." He probably could use some fatherly advice every so often since he ran away from his. Some days he really missed talking to his father but he knew this was for the best. He couldn't hurt his family's name anymore than it already was from his own birth.

He was sad to leave at two, he got the feeling he would really love this job. Denise and Mirabelle were great and funny and Denis really was fatherly towards him. It felt strange yet nice; it was different from what he had with his own father. Though they had been close it felt like their relationship would change whenever they were out together for more than just lunch.  
>"Tamaki, I was going over your application that you filled out. Happy Belated Birthday, it was last Friday, the eighth correct? What did you do for it?"<br>"I worked. It's not a huge thing for me so I wasn't really thinking about it."  
>"Your family didn't do anything for you?"<br>"Umm, not really, I'm not sure. I live alone." He hoped that wouldn't get out here but he wasn't big on lying. They would probably find out anyway, lies seemed to that; they always had a way of getting out. "I wasn't kicked out or anything, I just decided to move out of my parent's house. It was the best thing for everyone."  
>Denis could read between the lines, he ran away because of his situation; that had to be so hard. Hard on him and his family, they must be worried sick about him. As a father he would have been searching all over if either of his boys ran away from home. And to be sixteen on his own was something else all together, he was a trooper he had to give him that.<br>"I mean I'm seventeen now which is nothing fancy, now next year is another story. That one I'll celebrate hands down." He hoped his plan to make it seem like was planned, that he truly didn't care about his birthday. He didn't want him to know he spent it working because he couldn't afford to take it off and that before and after work he cried because he missed talking to his father. He didn't want Denis to know that he cried over the fact that he was seventeen, pregnant, alone, and scared.  
>"I can understand that, being eighteen is a big thing, you're finally an adult, seventeen doesn't mean much here."<br>"Exactly."  
>"Well I don't want to hold you up since I know you have another job to get to. I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday."<br>"Thank you Denis. See you Wednesday." With that he left to head back to his apartment for awhile before he had to go to work. At least he had a few hours before jobs; not rushing was definitely a plus.

After an amazing day off he was happy to be back at the bakery, the morning rush was fun to work with and even the people after it were great to be around. Free food for lunch was also a nice bonus, but he wasn't in love with the job just because of that. The day was steady with people without being too much to handle. He couldn't wait to work in the back with Mirabelle though, he really wanted to learn how to bake all the different types of breads along with the other awesome stuff he brought up for the displays each day.  
>"Tamaki before you run out of here can I borrow you?"<br>"Sure Denis what's…up?" His jaw dropped as he tried not to get over emotional and cry. Mirabelle had made a beautiful cake for him for his birthday. That's why he wasn't allowed back here all day.  
>"Happy Birthday Tamaki! Though it's belated we hope you had a great day."<br>"Thank you both, you didn't have to do this for me though."  
>"Yes we did, this is a bakery and we are glad to help make your birthday special. We hope you like it."<br>"I do, thank you so much. It means a lot to me for you to do this."  
>"Glad you like it."<br>Sticking a fork into it he took a bite and melted inside, it was rich and chocolate and oh my god this was amazing. They were too kind to be doing this for him. He was a nobody, just some teenage fuck up trying to survive and not end up on the streets. That had happened once or become close to happening once and it was a feeling he didn't like. He was grateful for all they were doing for him. To some it would have been just a job but for him it was a chance to provide for his child. A chance others may not have given to him. He hoped they understood how grateful he was and he would do anything to repay them for this, all of this.  
>"Thank you both, this is too much, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."<br>"No trouble dear, you're like another son to us."

That, what they had done for him left him in a fantastic mood all day. Nothing that happened even had a chance of spoiling it. Being yelled at by some elderly woman over things being written to small he shrugged it off and promised he would tell his boss. Not that it would change things, what they sold here and the labels attached to them were standard at the bigger stores. Though once she left the night went relatively smoothly. After all the kindness he had received since moving here he hoped to be able to give it back or at least pay it forward so it was never forgotten.

May first Tamaki was faced with something he had to really thing about, a third job. After paying bills and rent the money he put aside from the bakery checks were basically wiped. The convenient store was covering food, laundry and any new clothing he needed but he had to start planning to buy things for the baby. Soon enough he would need a crib, and mattress since he found out one doesn't include the other, clothing and other expensive things. Some things he could get away with to save money but others were a must, the crib being the big one. Getting a third job would allow him to start saving up for one, that and a stroller. The more he thought about it the more he realized he was crazy for deciding to keep the baby. He would make it all work out though, he had too. He could get all he needed he was positive of it. So long as he did a little at a time and got the most important things taken care of first he could manage. Third job though was a must. Going to work that night after the bakery and learning he could no longer work weekends due to the company going after his boss for the sixteen hours of overtime he got every week he really needed to start looking. He already decided he would stop not working Tuesdays from both jobs and pull in forty hours a week from both then take a third job just for the weekends. He had been pulling about fifty-six hours a week from both but Denis had also cut his hours. They told him they were sorry from him having to work some fifty some hours a week, not that they didn't or couldn't pay him for it but they said no one, his age or not, should be pulling in those hours. For this health they dropped him to no more than forty hours. He was now off Monday and Tuesday from the bakery and work Wednesday through Sunday at eight hours a day. He didn't want to lose the extra money he brought in from all those extra hours but he wasn't going to complain. They were thinking about his well being and his child's. He appreciated the thought, especially since he hadn't seen a doctor and couldn't afford to have anything happen.

The second week in May his hour changes took place but he was lucky to find a third job for the weekends. He was still losing hours but losing sixteen instead of thirty-two was a lot better. It was still a night job but he was making a little more at the bakery and he loved it so he wasn't going to give that up. He could handle working at another convenient store at night; it was probably as easy as the one he worked at now.

Finishing up with helping Denis he was called in the back with Mirabelle.  
>"Since you're free right now I thought I would start teaching you how to make a few things." Excited he moved closer to watch what to do. He hadn't waited too long for this day; he had been working for them for three weeks now. This was exciting, he hoped he would be good at baking, more than simple cakes that was.<br>"Good, good, just like that only use your knuckles more than your finger tips."  
>"Like this?"<br>"Yes that's it. The knuckles add more pressure which is good for the yeast."  
>He stopped for a moment as he felt something again; it was the starting to worry him. The first time he felt it he worried that something was going on with the baby but then it stopped and he wasn't in pain. But if it was happening again then maybe something was wrong. He didn't know what to do and he didn't want to harm the baby by ignoring it.<br>"Something wrong Tamaki? Are you alright?" Mirabelle noticed he looked a little scared while he placed a hand on his stomach.  
>"I'm not sure, this happened the other day but I don't know what it is or if it's bad or not."<br>"Are you hurting anywhere?"  
>"No, I feel fine. It's just that the baby is, it feels like their movements are staggered. That doesn't make any sense, how do I put it."<br>"Tamaki relax, may I?"  
>Moving his hand he let her touch him, placing a hand on his stomach she only kept it there for a second before she started laughing.<br>"Everything is fine Tamaki it's just the hiccups."  
>"Hiccups?" Babies could do that at this stage?<br>"Yes it's nothing to worry about, didn't your doctor tell you that?"  
>"No, I guess she forgot to give me that heads up."<br>Well at least it was nothing serious. He could deal with it so long as he knew the baby was fine.

Three jobs was rough, the only thing that kept him from feeling worn down from them was the fact that they were spaced a part. Well not really, on Saturday and Sunday he was at the bakery until four and then had to be at his new job by four-thirty. At least he could sleep in Monday and Tuesday, that was good. Not having to wake up at five am to be to work by six was nice. Opening the fridge he noticed he really needed to go food shopping. He did have the time and money to so there was no need to wait plus if he waited he would have to go between jobs and he would rather just go home and relax for a little while before he had to go back to work.  
>"Oh? Going out Tamaki?"<br>"Oh hi Celine, yea have to go food shopping."  
>"Waited too long to go again?"<br>"Yea it looks like it. You'd think I would remember working at a convenient store."  
>"But then you would have nothing to do.'<br>"True and I can't have that now."  
>With that they started laughing as she entered her apartment and he got going.<p>

Trying to balance his bags and his key to unlock his door he tried to remind himself to shop a lot sooner. This balancing act was a lot harder than it used to be and he knew it was only going to get harder.  
>"Finally." Pushing the door open he tried not have a heart attack.<br>"Surprise!'  
>Celine along with a few other people popped out from the couch and kitchen area. She ran over to grab the bags from his hands and dragged him inside.<br>"Celine, what is all this? What are you doing?"  
>"Sit here and relax. It's customary for friends to help an expecting friend out. Plus I knew this was the only way you would let me or anyone help you."<br>Not having a say in what happened next things got under way. He was surprised to see Mirabelle show up with Amelle, and Julie had apparently helped Celine set this all up. Thanks to always being busy he hadn't talked to Julie as much as he would have liked. It was great to see her again.  
>"I've missed you so much and look at you!"<br>"I'm sorry I haven't called I hope you're doing well. Who called you?"  
>"I did silly, address books help with that." Celine snuck her head besides his.<br>"Yea but what did you do Celine? How did you get into here to get it? And exactly how did you set all of this up?"  
>"I have your spare key remember? You gave it to me in case you accidently forgot yours."<br>"I knew I shouldn't have given it to you." Still he laughed and was grateful. Not only did Celine set this up but she went to his job to put in the request book to take the day off. He had some amazing friends as he learned they got together to buy him a crib, high chair, and stroller along with some clothes. They had taken care of the big things which helped him more than they probably knew. He could easily get the other things he needed no problem now. Julie moved next to him on the loveseat so they could hopefully catch up some more.  
>"So Tamaki, how far along are you now?"<br>"Umm, twenty-six weeks I believe."  
>"Unbelievable, that really shows me how long it's been since I saw you."<p>

That day was amazing and not having to worry about work was a nice change. Having the chance for once he turned in early for the night. Lying in bed he couldn't help but think about what he told Julie, twenty-six weeks, only thirteen weeks to go. He had been away from home a little over six months. It was hard to believe he had gone through with this, somehow he was managing on his own and in three months he would have a child depending on him. He still didn't feel ready but he didn't feel as unprepared and scared as he did before. Sitting up he turned his lamp on and opened the drawer besides him. He stared at the photo he had of Kyouya, it was just the two of them. It seemed like a life time ago since then. He still thought about him everyday though, he wondered if Kyouya still thought about him as well. Turning the lamp off again he tried to get comfortable again while holding the photo to his chest.  
>"You would have been a great father Kyouya. Our child is lucky to be yours; even if you never meet they will still be lucky. Their future is bright with your genes in them. Hear that my son, or daughter, my child you'll have a good life. Together we'll be alright. Together we'll get by. I love you as much as I love your father and I just know we'll make everything work out for us. We'll help each other, we'll be happy. That's all I want for you. I want you to be happy and free. Free from the life I once lead, the life your father still leads." Closing his eyes he tried to imagine his future, the one that was rapidly approaching. He could do this, he wasn't alone, he had friends who cared for him, who cared for his child. He was willing to work as hard as he had to so they could get by. They would be alright. They would be happy.<br>"I love you. I love you both."  
>With that he fell asleep for the night.<p>

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I have nothing to say for once (gasp) so I hope you are enjoying this story. Please Review.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Tamaki was in the back helping Mirabelle and Denis, they were going to be busy today, they had been all week and not even with extra customers. They just had a lot of cake orders and dessert platters that had to be filled around the same time. That was what Tamaki was working on, filling the platters while Denis got ready to open and Mirabelle worked on baking the cakes that had to be ready by noon. It was nice having last Tuesday off from both jobs to spend it with his friends. Plus with how busy they had been since Wednesday having a day off was nice. Mirabelle seemed to enjoy it as well though he learned Denis had been here alone so he hoped they hadn't overworked him by them both being off.  
>"Umm, I'm out of ribbon, where is it kept again?"<br>"I'll get it for you; I need to stretch my fingers."  
>Mirabelle put down her tube of writing and designing frosting and walked into the office to grab more. Coming back she brought him a whole bunch and learned she had three more boxes then she thought.<br>"Tamaki, are you feeling alright?"  
>"I feel fine why? Do I look it or something?"<br>"You looked tired that's all. You better be getting plenty of sleep, I really hope you're not overworking yourself. That's not healthy you know."  
>"Oh. It's nothing; I just have been having trouble staying asleep that's all."<br>"Baby waking you up?"  
>"Yea, they start around three and once I'm up, I'm up." Not really but he was only sleeping for about four hours at night since he got home about twenty to one and his alarm for here went off at five and again by a quarter after incase he didn't hear the first one. If he was lucky he would be able to fall asleep after and before he went to his other job. At least the weekend was a little easier to deal with since he didn't have to be in until eight. A few extra hours of sleep were always nice and always taken.<br>"Well try to take it easy though I know it's easier said than done. Heaven knows my oldest loved to wake me up in the middle of the night."  
>"I will do my best to sleep more I promise."<br>"Your still not working a thousand hours a week are you?"  
>"No I'm not."<br>"If I find out that you have a third job or more hours Tamaki so help me."  
>"I'm not Mirabelle I promise. It's just this job and my other one and I'm not working as late there since I have to be here so early, honest."<br>"Well alright than." With that she let them get back to work. That was close, good thing his lying improved and Mirabelle wasn't one to check up on him by contacting a third party. Celine knew he worked three jobs but she never talked about that to anyone as far as he knew and she only met Mirabelle last Tuesday so he figured they weren't suddenly best friends.

He didn't want to be a bother but he really needed a break, or to sit. He couldn't figure out why he had trouble standing today. He had been off for the past two days and last night he was at the register after six so it wasn't like he had been on his feet but man did they bother him today.  
>"Hey Tamaki, Denis needs the rolls, are they done yet? Are you okay?" Mirabelle walked in the back to see him lifting his legs one as a time as best as he could.<br>"My feet are bothering me so I'm trying to get them to feel better."  
>"They are probably swollen sweetie, we told you you could sit when you needed to. I'll stay back here; you take care of the register so you can sit. Or better yet go in the office and put your feet up so your ankles will stop swelling."<br>Realizing she wouldn't take no and that sounded really good right now he went up front to help Denis as best as he could. Within an hour his feet felt ten times better, though putting them up during lunch wasn't too bad either.

Between the leg swelling and the leg cramps he was losing his mind. Being on his feet all day everyday wasn't really helping much either though. At the bakery at least, once the morning crowd ended he could take it easy and worked with people that understood that he needed too.  
>"Tamaki are you alright with being alone in the back? Mirabelle and I need to rearrange the displays and prepare for the health inspection. Not that we are worried about it."<br>"Sure Denis, no problem. What do you need done?"  
>"Can you start with the rolls and then the dessert platters? It must be Friday we have about thirty orders for this weekend."<br>"Sure, the order forms are in the bin right?"  
>"Yes they are all there. Thanks Tamaki. And no rush, do what you can. If things get overwhelming let us know."<br>"Okay Denis, no worries though I've got it under control."  
>Dessert platters were fun and easy to do he could be done in a few hours. He was doing well so far, though after a couple hours of work and waiting for things to bake he felt tired. Too bad it was too early for a nap or lunch. He could nap for at least a half hour but he still had another hour before he normally took his lunch. Plus with stuff in the oven he couldn't really walk away. A nap sounded so good, he was so tired from working all the time. He needed a full day off so he could catch up on his sleep. But the extra money he was able to save up was great. He was able to buy a few more things he would need for the baby allowing the list to shrink a little more. Man he was so tired he would sleep well tonight and easily nap for once during his break between jobs. Resting his head on his hand he closed his eyes for a moment while he waited for the timer to go off.<p>

Denis was wiping under the refrigerated cake case while Mirabelle was talking with a regular about a specialty cake they could make for them when they heard a crashing come from the back. It sounded like a tray fell; Tamaki's hand probably slipped and touched it when he went to pull it from the oven. It wasn't that big of a deal if that happened, they had done it at least once before and he had few tricks to help the burns. Going to make sure he was okay he walked to the back so Mirabelle could continue. He could handle this on his own.  
>"Are you alright Tamaki? Did you burn you…Oh my god Tamaki!" Running in he went to Tamaki noticing he was on the floor. He was as pale as a ghost, and he couldn't tell if he was conscious or not.<br>"Denis, is everything alright? What happened?" Mirabelle rushed in hearing Denis, she saw Tamaki on the floor, moving quickly she went to grab the phone.  
>"Hey Tamaki, can you hear me? You're alright now, Tamaki!"<br>Mirabelle walked back over with the phone to her ear calling for an ambulance. Seeing Tamaki so pale and his breathing uneven worried her, his heart was already working harder and a collapse like this could be disastrous for both him and the baby.  
>"Tamaki, there you are. You're alright I've got you."<br>"D…Denis…"  
>"Just take it easy. Mirabelle is calling for a doctor, you'll be alright."<br>"Denis, I…I think I'm going to into labor."  
>Closing his eyes he tried to handle the pain he felt again. He was scared, this couldn't be happening, it was too soon. What was he going to do? What if his stupidity hurt his child? He would never be able to forgive himself. Denis and Mirabelle looked at each other as she hung up the phone. That wasn't a good sign; they both knew it was too early. She had a feeling this could happen though, and not even counting this incident. She could see the strain Tamaki was placing on his body, one he couldn't handle forever. Not for someone his age, upbringing or situation.<p>

Tamaki woke up feeling exhausted and hearing beeping throughout the room. Opening his eyes further he noticed he was at the hospital, that's right he had felt dizzy while working with Mirabelle and Denis.  
>"How do you feel Tamaki? Any better than before? Your face has some color again that good to see."<br>"Denis? What happened?"  
>"Don't you remember? You collapsed on the job. Doctors say you overworked yourself. They called your doctor so she's the one that really hooked you and the baby up to the monitors."<br>"My doctor? But, wait, the baby! Are they alright?"  
>"I believe so. I'm sorry but they haven't told me much. You're a minor but we aren't related in anyway so they won't talk to me."<br>"No, that's fine, thank you. I'm sorry Denis, for pulling you from your job. You didn't have to stay with me all this time."  
>"It's only been two hours and I felt bad leaving you here alone. We tried calling your family but we couldn't figure out how since we didn't find a number on you. Mirabelle wanted me to tell you that she is sorry she couldn't stay as well but she sends warm wishes and hope you feel better soon."<br>"No I understand. She has to stay for your business and be there for your kids. But tell her I said thank you for the thoughts."

"Oh good you're up. Tamaki we need to talk. I'm beyond disappointed in you." Tamaki looked up to see Dr. Heckard walk in. He had been trying to hold a conversation with Denis for the past hour or so but he kept nodding off.  
>"I'll let the doctor do what she has to. I'll be in the lobby if you need something."<br>"You don't have to leave sir, I'm not going to be doing anything that could make anyone feel uncomfortable."  
>"That's alright. I should call my wife."<br>"Thanks again Denis." He felt bad that he left the room but at the same time he was glad he did. He didn't want Denis to know he had been lying to them for a while.  
>"I want to take me not seeing you in months mean you switched doctors. But my gut tells me you just skipped the appointments. Do I need to tell you how reckless that is? That what you did put both you and your baby's health's at risk. Not receiving the proper care can have horrible consequences on the both of you. I told you to come talk to me for whatever, that included financial help."<br>"I'm sorry, you're right I was stupid. I put my baby at risk." He started crying knowing she was right in every way. He messed up big time and he had no right to bring his child down with him. He stopped crying from now dealing with gagging as he tried to breathe. He remembered this happening before, after he collapsed. Oh god, what did he do?  
>"Just breathe Tamaki it's alright, you're alright. It will pass in a moment. Relax, I managed to slow the contractions, they should stop completely soon. Don't worry I'm going to make sure you're not going to have baby while I'm here." She placed a hand on his shoulder while he tried to relax. He wished he could feel better hearing that but he still felt horrible for what transpired from his actions.<br>"Even though everything is fine I'm still placing you on bed rest. No being on your feet for more than ten minutes is that clear?"  
>"Yes ma'am."<br>"You got very lucky Tamaki. At the state your body is in things could have gotten much worse."  
>"I know, but, everything is okay though, right? Not even counting what happened today, the baby is doing well?"<br>"They are. I want to do a few tests since you're here just to make sure but everything looks good."  
>"That's good. I'm glad."<br>"Take it easy while your here and once you're home and you should be fine."  
>"I will; thank you." <p>

He did feel better knowing things were okay but if he was placed on bed rest then how would he work? He hadn't planned on taking any leave until the baby was born. This changed everything. Rent was due in about two weeks and he hadn't paid completely yet. He couldn't lose this apartment, not with things the way they were. No, he couldn't think like that yet he still had a chance.  
>"Everything alright Tamaki, you seemed worried?"<br>Denis, he might know something that could work.  
>"You can get paid leave from them. It's required by law, not only because you work forty hours but because your doctor has forced you on bed rest. They have to pay you for as long as you are out. But know it may not be as much as you usually get each week. Also, Tamaki, we have to talk."<br>"Is everything alright Denis? Did my collapsing cause what was in the ovens to burn and be unable to sell?"  
>"No, that's not it." He hadn't even thought about anything like that, he didn't care if any of it burned. Tamaki had been his top priority."<br>"Listen, I know this is a bad time but I was talking to Mirabelle and we have decided, for your safety and well being in mind we are going to let you go. You know we think of you as one of ours but it's clear you're not taking care of yourself. This will allow you to follow your doctor's orders better."  
>"But Denis I, no your right, it is for the best. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I loved working with you both."<br>"You're a great kid Tamaki and we want you to know that once your child is born and if you want to work with us again we will gladly take you back. We don't want you running yourself in the ground like you have been doing. I'm sure you're child would love to see you healthy and to be with you forever."  
>"I understand, thank you." He had a point; he would probably find a way to continue to work even with the doctor's orders. They were forcing him to take it easy because they truly cared. He was certain once the baby was born and he was able he would try to work with them again, it was certainly a job he loved and he learned a lot being there.<p>

The next day he was allowed to go home. Dr. Heckard has run her tests before and everything came back normal meaning there was no reason he had to stay. She had given him two notes for his jobs so they could give him paid leave as soon as possible. He was grateful to Celine for being able to pick him up and take him home. It had been tough at first since they weren't related but they managed to make it work. He hated being a minor still, especially with no family to contact. He guessed they were trying to get him too because once he changed his story to he was thrown out they didn't fight him as much.

"You don't have to cook anything, I can do it."  
>"Sit and don't move."<br>They had gotten back from the convenient stores to do what he had to and she forced him to sit.  
>"I'm going to make things ten times easier for you. I'm going to cook and freeze things for you so you have them. This way your off you feet more."<br>"Fine, then I'll make us lunch."  
>"Oh no, stay there! Don't make me tie you to the bed. Just take it easy Tamaki, please, just listen to me."<br>He could tell she was upset over something but it couldn't be from him could it?  
>"Celine is everything alright?"<br>"Yea, just fine don't worry about it."  
>"You don't sound fine. Did I do something; if so let me know so I can apologize."<br>"It's not you. I'm upset with myself. I saw you overworking yourself and I did nothing. I should have told Mirabelle like she asked me too. You really scared me Tamaki. You're a really good friend of mine and I did little to prove that."  
>He could tell she was really upset at herself and on the verge of tears. Not caring what she said he stood up to make sure she didn't cry. He wasn't mad at her for doing nothing; he hadn't wanted to involve her at all. He considered her one of his best friends but he still felt bad making her worry about him.<br>"Don't get upset, there is no reason for you to be. I'm sorry I worried you. I messed up by not talking to you when I should have. You're right we are friends and friends go to each other when they need help."  
>"So you're not mad?"<br>"At you? No of course not. I screwed up here, you've been kind enough and such a big help to me how could I be mad."  
>"Oh Tamaki!" She burst out crying as she hugged him glad their friendship was fine. He tried not to laugh as she became over emotional, he really knew some great people here. Though he figured she treated him like a younger brother like everyone else he knew did. Once she was good she pulled apart and forced him to sit back down. He was glad he hadn't ruined their friendship.<p>

If he wasn't so worried he would be crying while he freaked out right now. Rent was due and thanks to the fact the he lost his full amount in his pay checks he fell short. Plus he had bills to pay and he couldn't take the money from something because all he could take it from was the fund for when the baby was born. There was no way he had enough time to replenish it if it was removed. What was he going to do, he needed a place or else social services could take the baby away as soon as they were born. Hearing a knock or something strange he stood up to see what it was. Opening the door he saw an eviction notice taped to the door, it wasn't even seven o'clock pm yet, he still had four hours. His landlord really was a dick, maybe it was a good thing he had to leave. But now he was really screwed, he needed a new place and he needed it by tomorrow.  
>"Oh hey Tamaki, I went shopping so I picked up a few things for you. Whatcha got there?" Celine walked down the hall to his apartment to give him what she got when she saw him in the doorway to his apartment.<br>"The more I think about it the more I see I'm so stupid. I should probably be dead by now, I don't know how I've managed this long."  
>"Hey now you're not stupid. What's wrong, maybe I can help?"<br>They walked into his apartment and sat on his loveseat, she joined him once she put the few cold things for him in the fridge. He handed her the eviction notice.  
>"But you still have time to pay, we're suppose to have until seven."<br>"Well obviously he knows I don't have the money and figured why wait?"  
>"How short are you? And why not talk to him, maybe if you told him why you don't have it all he'll take what you do have as full payment."<br>"Then I'll be safe this month but I'll only be screwed again next month, only then I'll have even less for rent. What am I going to do Celine? I feel so lost."  
>"Move in with me."<br>His head shot up to look into her eyes, she said it so matter-of-factly, so calm, but was she really serious?  
>"You want me to move in with you?"<br>"I do. I don't want you on the streets or not taking care of yourself. Some of your stuff has to go in my storage unit but my apartment can easily hold the crib and other important things you'll need for yourself and the baby."  
>"I can't, I'm just complaining but I'll be alright. I don't want to be a bother."<br>"You're not a bother and you won't be. Think about it Tamaki this is your best option right now. Where else can you go by tomorrow?"  
>She had him corned, maybe he would do it, move in with her for a little while. At least until he could find something else that was.<br>"If you're absolutely sure about this than alright, I'll move in you with you."  
>"You'll be happy you did I promise."<p>

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Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope to get 10 up on Monday and then one more before the holiday. Hope you are enjoying this story, please review.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

"You are not sleeping on my couch."  
>"I am not taking your bed."<br>"Then we'll pull the couch out."  
>"I'm fine just laying across the couch. I actually find it easier to sleep on and get comfortable."<br>"Ugh fine do as you like but let me know if you change your mind."  
>With that Celine put his clothes in the coat closet as he asked so he wouldn't bother her or get in her way while she was trying to get ready for work in the morning.<br>"Now I want you to know and remember that this is your place too so everything that is mine is yours. Just a heads up though, my computer has my account and a guest one. Mine is locked because of work but you can use the guest one."  
>"Oh don't worry about it. Please don't worry about me."<br>"I don't know about you but I'm excited for this. Reminds me of when I was in college." Realizing what she said she hoped she didn't offend him at all. Really though he was just confused, he was too young to experience the college life and he hadn't done much research on what happened there besides schooling.  
>"Are you okay Tamaki, I hope I didn't hurt you by what I said."<br>"No you didn't do or say anything wrong. I was just wondering if you would mind telling me about how college was for you."  
>"How college was? Sure if you really want me to." Joining him on the couch she told him a few of her funniest stories from that time.<p>

Since he was alone in the apartment while Celine was working he jumped on her computer. He was grateful that he was able to move in here with her and stay for as long as he needed but he didn't want to be in the way. It wasn't helping him feel any better that she didn't want any money for rent, bills, or food. He didn't want a free ride here, he knew life didn't work that way and he didn't want special treatment from it. If he did he could have stayed in Japan with his family. The real world was hard and made you work hard to survive; he knew that and felt out of place here. Sure they were friends but that didn't mean she had to do all of this for him. Though had roles been reversed he would have done the same for her as she was doing for him. There had to be a place he could move into, a place not too expensive and one that would be safe enough to raise a baby in. Searching around he kept falling short, either he didn't trust the area or they wouldn't let him apply because he wasn't actually working. Plus, there was the whole age factor again, he had gotten lucky in the past because he had someone to vouch for him, he doubted this landlord would. He could tell he didn't like him too much when he came with Maggie. Maybe he could ask Celine to help him get a place, no, that wouldn't work she would just say there was no need for him to move. There had to be something out there. Frustrated he started doing research on something else, he couldn't be the only person out there that was thirty weeks pregnant and scared. Not so much about what was coming but how the world viewed him and would view his baby, how the future looked rocky and uncertain. Going through the search results he found one page that stuck out among the rest. Knowing he had nothing to lose he clicked it to see what it had to say. It was one's story about how they managed to overcome the obstacles to have a great life with their child so far. They kept thanking this company and their services for them. Curious what this company was he pulled them up and was instantly glad he did. This was what he was looking for exactly. Now with a little more information and a way to apply he would be all set. They offered a place to stay and services for the baby allowing that to be the focus. They would even help him find work; maybe finish school so he could have a high school diploma at the very least. Finding a number to call he was lucky enough to speak with someone that could answer his questions. There was a way to apply right online which meant he wouldn't have to wait for Celine to get home to take him since he couldn't walk there and never learned the bus routes knowing he couldn't waste the money on a bus every day.  
>"Alright Mr. Suoh if you fill it out within the next hour and a half we can go over it by five tonight and let you know by tomorrow at the earliest. Do you have any questions right now?"<br>"No, I'm okay. Thank you for all your help."  
>Filling out the online form he hoped this worked; this was his only hope right now. He was mad at himself for not looking into government services before. While the idea of someone else paying for him didn't sit right it would have made things better for him and his baby. He would have to repay a lot of people as soon as he was able. They had to know how grateful he was for this and that he wasn't going to take advantage of it in any way. He had brought all of this on himself and he didn't want anyone else to feel burdened by him.<p>

"Tamaki, it's for you." Tuesday early evening Celine handed the phone to Tamaki a little surprised that it was for him. She didn't know anyone knew he was here since in had only moved in a few days ago, not that she minded though. She took the phone back from him when he was done so she could place it back on the charger.  
>"Everything alright."<br>"Yes, um, Celine, I'm probably moving out next week."  
>"What, but you just got here. Was it something I did?"<br>"No, of course not. I just don't want to feel like a bother to you and over the weekend I applied to housing for people in similar situations to mind. That was who just called, I was approved and they said I can fill out the paperwork and move in the twelfth, that's next Monday. But I want you to understand how grateful I am for letting me stay here with you. It means so much to me, you're a great friend."  
>"I completely forgot there were places like that here. That is perfect for you your right. They will make sure you do as you're told and see a doctor and everything. No I'm glad you applied. I'll help you anyway I can. Will they take your things or do you need storage?"<br>"They supply if you don't have but since I've got I can move it all in."  
>"Well that's good. It's nice to be able to use your own things, gives you a homey feel."<br>"Thanks for understanding Celine, I've very grateful you let me stay here please know that."  
>"Anytime. You're always welcome here."<br>He was glad Celine took the news well, he loved staying here but he needed to leave. Celine loved to wait on him hand and foot and he wasn't crazy about it. Since coming to France he had done everything himself, being catered to felt strange now. If he had known he would have loved the freedom of being without maids and servants he would have given them up a long time ago.

"Wow, look at this place. It's really nice looking."  
>Walking into his new place the following Monday he had to agree with Celine, this was nice looking. It didn't seem as small as he thought it would be for a place someone else paid for. But then again it did have to be big enough for a person and a baby.<br>"Where can I put some stuff for you?"  
>"Umm what is that box, from your place? The bedroom is fine."<br>Celine went straight back to out it in the bedroom, "Tamaki there is no bed here."  
>"I know because I have mind from my first apartment."<br>"Right, we stuck it in storage. Okay I'll get it for you in a few."  
>"No worries, take your time." He wasn't worried about anything for some reason; nothing seemed to be a problem anymore, not since he was accepted here. It seemed for the first time since he came to France everything would be okay. He would be alright, his child would be alright. Being here, not having to worry about rent, or paying expensive doctor bills, he would really focus on his child that would be here in about ten short weeks. He could save his money for when they were born, he could possibly make something great out of his life, something great for his child's future. It seemed like the possibilities were endless right now.<br>"Tamaki, earth to Tamaki, I hate to break you from your little daydream but where do you want this?"  
>Snapping out of his head he saw Celine holding a box that looked heavy.<br>"Sorry, right here is fine. I can go through it later."

Within a few hours everything was brought over and they could start unpacking the boxes. This was what Tamaki was looking forward to, it really helped feel like this place was his.  
>"Okay so what can I unpack for you?"<br>"You don't have to worry about it I can handle it."  
>"I don't mind, here what about this, I'll take care of this box since it's your pots and pans that way you don't have to worry about lifting it."<br>"Fine, I'll take this one with my bathroom stuff since its light."  
>"Okay, let me know if you need any help."<br>"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"  
>Grabbing the box he wanted he carried it into the bathroom to unpack it while both started to laugh. He hoped the people here were as nice as Celine was, so far he became friends with at least one person from each place he lived at, he hoped that streak continued here.<p>

By nine everything was unpacked, it helped that he didn't have too much to begin with and Celine had been a big help which sped the process up. Relaxing on his loveseat he put his feet up and watched TV until he was tired enough to go to bed. It felt strange being here, not bad or good just strange. Was this what it felt like to be at peace for once? To not have the same worries that he carried around for months anymore? If so than he enjoyed this feeling and he should have done this sooner. He hoped this feeling was telling him how life was going to be from this point on. He hoped he never made his child worry by working so hard. That was his one wish; he didn't care if he was rich and lived in a big house, all he wanted to was to have an okay life with his child. They deserved the world and then some.

The next day after he ate and got dressed for the day he stopped himself from going for a walk around the complex. He really wanted to, the weather was nice and this place was beautiful. Still he would be good, after all the mistakes he made these past months and having nothing horrible happen he didn't want to push his luck. He was bored though, looking around the apartment he realized he really didn't have anything to do. Since he was always working he never had this much free time and when he was placed on bed rest he was too worried about finding the money for rent to really focus on anything else. He could watch TV all day, actually that didn't sound all that appealing. Maybe he should call Celine? Wait, no, that wouldn't work, it was Tuesday morning she was in work and after she was kind enough to take yesterday off to help him move in he couldn't bother her today. This sucked, what was he supposed to do on best rest? The building had a library around here somewhere maybe he could go there and spend the day. That actually did sound nice. Making up his mind to go to the library he heard a knock at his door; who could that be?  
>"Hello?"<br>"Hello, my name is Sara Belmont; I work here and want to introduce myself to you. It's Tamaki right?"  
>"Umm yes it is, please come in."<br>Letting her in they sat on the loveseat so they could talk. He never really met anyone here besides the director of the building, he didn't know there was staff here besides the doctors.  
>"Is that your son?"<br>"Oh! Yes silly me, this is Michael. He joins me since his father works during the day and this place has no problem with kids."  
>"How old, he is very cute."<br>"Aww thank you, he just turned two months on Sunday. Would you like to hold him?"  
>"Oh, I don't think that would be a good idea."<br>"It would be great practice for you. How much longer do you have to go?"  
>"I don't know, I mean what if I drop him. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."<br>"Oh don't worry so much. It's not as hard as it looks. And you never answered my question."  
>"Okay fine if you insist. And ten weeks or so."<br>"See it's the perfect time to practice." Tamaki tensed as she passed Michael over to him. Doing as she said he realized it wasn't that hard at all. Michael seemed comfortable in his arms which made him relax more.  
>"What did I tell you, piece of cake right? So are you having a boy or girl?"<br>"Umm, I don't know."  
>"Wanted to be surprised? I understand, I did the same thing."<br>"Not exactly but not knowing has been fun too."  
>They talked all day about random things going on here and in general. Tamaki was surprised at how soon he felt like he could trust her. He hadn't said anything that was private but he felt like he could. Realizing it was already six Sara got up to leave.<br>"I am living here for right now so if you need anything let me know. I mean that too, I am here to help any time, day or night. Here this is where you can reach me. You said you are on bed rest right? I bet it gets lonely being stuck indoors all day, would you like me to stop by tomorrow? Today was fun, I hope you had fun too."  
>"I did, it was great meeting you both. If it's not a problem you're more than welcome to come tomorrow. I just don't want you to get in trouble if you're with me all day again."<br>"This is why I'm here to help anyway I can and if that means spending all day talking with someone then so be it."  
>"Well alright if you say so. Then I guess I'll see you both tomorrow."<br>"See you tomorrow Tamaki. Say good-bye Michael." She raised his little hand to wave good-bye to Tamaki as they walked out. It seemed his wish to make friends was coming true. Sara was as kind as Celine yet much more hyper; no wonder she worked in a place like this. It was the perfect job for someone like her.

The following day around noon Sara came back with Michael so they could talk and hang out some more. This was working out in a few areas now that he thought about it, he was learning important tools and tricks so he would be able to take care of a his child and he was making a friend.  
>"So are you married? I only ask because I see the ring on your finger. If not that I'm sorry for stepping of line."<br>"You are quite the refined one Tamaki you know that. But yes I am married, quite happily too. I met Sean back in college, he studied business and I studied social services. We met through friends since we had no classes in common. We dated for three years than two years ago he proposed and than last year we got married."  
>"And you live here? Oh my god I'm sorry, that was rude."<br>"No it's quite alright. I get that a lot. We are trying to a get place of our own but Sean has been away on business since right after Michael was born and we couldn't take our last apartment anymore, the landlord was lazy and never wanted to repair anything it seemed, though we paid enough for him to do so. I was offered a place here, if I paid of course and it beat living alone so I took it. Hopefully once Sean is back home we can look into houses, I would love a house like the one I grew up in. What about you? What happened with the father?"  
>He knew he had to answer her, he had personal questions and she answered them all so he should do the same. But, still, even after all this time he was embarrassed by what he was going to say.<br>"I never told the father."  
>"Didn't get along with him?"<br>"No, that's not it at all actually. I was madly in love with him, in fact I probably still am. If I had stayed I know he would have taken care of me, of us, he would have been a great father I'm sure."  
>"Then why leave? I mean if you both were madly in love than why leave him without telling him?"<br>"It was because of his father. We were dating in secret from our families knowing they would never approve. When I found out I was pregnant I wanted to tell him but, but I knew he would stand beside me which would cause him lose everything because of me. He was already risking a lot by wanting to date me and I knew I wasn't worth his future so I took off. It's funny for as homesick as I get sometimes when I think why I did what I did and how it was for him that feeling isn't so bad. Leaving him was one of the hardest things I have ever done but it was also one I don't regret."  
>"Oh wow, I'm sorry to hear that but that look in your eyes, it's one that take me off guard."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Tamaki, think of where I work. I see people in your shoes everyday and most of them don't have that look, they have ones full of sadness and fear but yours don't hold that at all. Your eyes hold on brightly for the future."<br>With that he was speechless for a minute before she asked more about him. She wanted to know about his upbringing and why he chose France, before she learned he was born in France and not Japan like she thought.

Tamaki was in awe over how close he was getting to Sara with only a couple of days of getting together. She had come over every day since they first met and spent the whole day either talking or showing him some tricks for when the baby was here. They didn't have too much in common in terms of backgrounds and situations plus the five year gap between them could easily be considered this another sibling relationship but it never seemed to be a problem for them, this felt different. It was like she thought of them as friends from childhood and he found it hard to believe that they only knew each other for a few days and not years. He wondered if they hadn't met when he lived here before, it certainly felt that way. Learning more about Sara he knew that wasn't it at all since they lived nowhere near each other until she moved away for school but by that time he was already in Japan but still, that feeling wouldn't go away. It was nice having a friend here for once and not someone acting like an older sister.  
>"Were they all single?"<br>"Well one is in a serious relationship."  
>"I meant it more as, do they have kids?"<br>"Oh, no they don't. Well the couple I worked for did but they treated me more like their son so that was different by itself."  
>"That's why though; I get you, even though we don't talk about kids all that often we still have that connection that they don't. To them you're nothing but a trouble teen and they see you and wonder what they would do if their little brother was in your shoes, or what they would want others to do for them."<br>"Yea I figured as much."  
>She saw this look cross over his features, she didn't want him to feel bad by telling him the reasoning behind his friends actions she just called it as she saw it.<br>"I'm sorry that was harsh. I shouldn't have said that."  
>"No, it's fine. I always had this feeling that was why they were so kind to me. I guess it's to be expected when you're someone like me."<br>"Don't say it like that, they took care of you because of who you are I'm sure of it. I was just saying that the feeling you got from them is probably because what they treated you as."  
>"Isn't that the same thing though?"<br>"No of course not, they are too different things."  
>"Oh, I see now."<br>That was it? He was going to leave it at that? Well okay, that worked for her since she knew she messed up by saying too much and trying to cover it up.  
>"How about I make us some lunch huh? Or since it's already three-thirty I start some dinner for you?"<br>"You don't have to cook, I need the practice anyway. But if you want you can stay for dinner. Michael is still asleep in the other room isn't he?"  
>"If you want me to stay I will, let me go check on him since I have a feeling he will be crying soon and then I can show you this really neat recipe I'm sure you'll like. It's quick and simple but tastes amazing. Just wait and see."<br>"Okay sure, if you want to. I don't mind cooking on my own though."

0o0o0o0o0

Happy Holidays everyone! I plan to get 11 up before the new year. Please review.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

August first was a good day, it was the first day since he came to this country he didn't have to worry about having rent on the first of the month, and it was the first time since he went to the hospital that he was going to see a doctor. The one he originally started seeing was able to be his doctor here which was nice meaning he didn't have to start over with someone else. He felt comfortable with the one he had even if he had only seen her twice the entire pregnancy so far. Sara planned to go with him, one so he could figure out where the offices were here and so he wouldn't be alone for the appointment. She felt it was always nice to have someone there to help calm the other and to share in the excitement each visit held. Especially with this being the final weeks and having anything being able to happen now. Tamaki had told her what happened to place him on bed rest so soon meaning he could go into labor sooner than his day was.  
>"Hi you guys. Before we go I was wondering something Sara. Would you be okay with having my spare key? I know I keep my door unlocked when I know you'll be here soon but that way, you know just in case something comes up."<br>"Sure Tamaki. Here I'll put it right on my keys so I always have it." Taking the key from him she attached it to her key ring next to hers. "I should give you mine, a trade isn't complete unless both people exchange something right."  
>"Well okay, if you want me to have it than I will be honored to except it."<br>"There you go again, being so formal again. It's so strange to hear it from someone your age."  
>"I can't help it it's how I was raised."<br>"I know I'm just teasing you Tamaki. Now are you ready to get going?"  
>"Yes I'm ready, let's do this. Whatever <em>this<em> is." Sara started laughing as she fixed her arms from holding Michael and followed Tamaki out of his apartment.

Tamaki sat on his bed relaxing enjoying the day, the weather was gorgeous and it was a shame he couldn't be out to enjoy it better. At least the windows opened so he could let the fresh air in so he could enjoy part of it. He was grateful Sara let his borrow a few books that she owned so he could do something other than just watch TV when they couldn't hang out. It helped now since Sara was at a doctor appointment for Michael and probably wouldn't be able to come over after because if he remembered correctly Sean was coming home. He would miss her if he moved, hopefully they would live close by so they could continue to talk and hang out whenever they could. They both hoped that their kids could become close once they were older. Since they would only be a few months away in age there was no reason for them not to be close. Not that they would force them together but if they were always together than their kids would always be. Now they just had to hope they liked each other so they didn't always fight. That would be a disaster if it did. Closing the book he wasn't making much progress in he stared out the window. With the future still so unknown he couldn't help his mind from wondering to it. He wished he had some idea about what their life would be like together, would they at least be happy? Would his son or daughter be happy? He didn't care if he figuring he would be so long as he had his child but would his child feel the same way if it was just the two of them? Would they make a lot of friends, play sports, have good grades, or would they be bullied, and flunk out of school? Of course he hoped of the first set of options but he had no clue if he would be right. If their classmates knew of the truth of their family and situation would they tease them or would they think nothing of it? He knew how people back home would have acted; they would treat the child as a filthy piece of dirt, the way he had been treated. His family was far from perfect and everyone that knew them never let them forget it, he had grown up with that around his head but he didn't want it for his child. He could hope it wasn't like that here but he really didn't know. He would never love his child less, ever, no matter what others thought or acted towards them. He knew it would never be their fault for whatever befell them but he could only hope nothing happened to them. His child deserved better than what he went through, he didn't want them to face the same things he faced growing up.  
>"That's my promise to you. Mark my words, no matter what happens next you will have it better than I did. Even if at times you don't think so, so long as we can manage to be true to ourselves than I'm certain we can be happy. And really that's all I want, for us to be happy." Deep down he felt that he would be, the doubt he held was not enough to fully discourage him and that, that was what kept him going, it was what kept him going all this time.<br>"I do miss your father though; I wish you got to know him. Even if I told you all about him and what a great man he was it would never be enough, it would never do justice for the type of person he was. You would never really see what I saw that caused me to fall in love with him." Feeling the baby start to kick and move as best as they could he went on to tell them as best as he could about their father. It seemed to make them happy which made him smile. It seemed that they knew and loved their father as much as they loved him even if they never met him and that was the happiest feeling in the world.

"Hey Tamaki, I'm coming in!" Sara opened the door to Tamaki's apartment to see him napping on the loveseat. He looked so cute huddled as best as he could on the loveseat that was already hard to sleep on not even counting being eight and a half months pregnant. He figured he wasn't sleeping well at night for one reason or another; she had the same trouble when she was pregnant with Michael. She had come over to invite him to dinner and to meet her husband but it seemed that had to wait until tomorrow since she wasn't going to wake him over something that could be rescheduled. Taking a blanket out of the closet she placed it over him before placing a note on the fridge telling him about dinner if he was interested and if not there was something in the fridge for him that all he had to do was heat up. Leaving him be she went back to her place to cook something to bring over for him so she wasn't lying in the note. She knew Tamaki loved to cook but she didn't want to see him overdue it knowing he was on strict orders. Plus what were friends for if they didn't help each other out from time to time by leaving food for them from time to time just to show they cared? Tamaki was a good kid, had a big heart and held a huge personality that was hard not to love she needed to show how happy they were that they were friends. She never met anyone like him before, someone she got along with so quickly and couldn't get enough of. She knew the feeling was mutual and she figured for both of them nothing would change once they moved out of here. Even if they on opposite sides of the city or even opposite sides of the country they would still talk everyday or find a way to meet all the time. She could be wrong but something told her she wasn't.

"So do I get to meet your new friend?"  
>"Not tonight, he is asleep so I'll invite him over for tomorrow." Sara smiled as she saw Sean holding their son when she got back to her apartment. It was so great to have him home again; she couldn't imagine how Tamaki did it. She could never have left Sean had things been different, what he did took more than just guts. That took a level of unselfishness and love that many didn't hold, she didn't even think she was on that level.<br>"Well I hope I can meet him soon since you always talking about him."  
>"Oh are you jealous?"<br>"No, unless you leave me for him than I will be."  
>"I love you, you know that right? Never fear I will always love you no matter what. Tamaki is just a friend. There is something about him that you become swept up in. You need to see it for yourself."<br>"Well than hopefully tomorrow than. I want to meet this person that makes you happy when I'm gone. I owe him my thanks."  
>"How much longer are you gonna be gone anyway?"<br>"Another two weeks to a month but I should be home for good after that. We can finally look into that house you've been hoping for."  
>"Really? Oh Sean!" She went to hug him as best she could since he was still holding Michael. She couldn't wait to tell Tamaki that good news, she knew he would be happy for her too.<p>

Tamaki woke up to notice he had fallen asleep on the loveseat, sitting up to get up he saw the blanket on him, that was strange he didn't remember grabbing it since the nap had been unplanned. Looking around he saw a note on his fridge from Sara, well that explained the blanket. It was already four, he didn't want to intrude on the dinner if they were eating, he would have to reschedule. He knew Sara wanted him to meet Sean having a feeling they would get along and if he was anything like Sara he didn't think that thought would be far off. Opening the fridge he saw a covered dish waiting for him, Sara was too much. Pulling it out and uncovering it he couldn't wait it heat it up, it looked great. Now if only Sara hadn't made so much, this would last him a while. At this rate he would never get to practice his cooking. Though, he was learning a lot of recipes from Sara so that was a plus, though he hadn't tried any of them for himself.

"Sorry about yesterday, I hope you aren't upset I didn't come."  
>"Oh no it's fine. Sean can't wait to meet you tonight though so I hope you're ready."<br>"Well I think so; you know if he is home you can spend time with him. I can handle myself here. I know you haven't seen him much."  
>"Thanks, but actually I wanted to talk to you about something. See Sean was talking to me about possibly getting a house soon but I'm not sure I want that right now."<br>"But I thought you wanted a house?"  
>"I do but I don't know, I was thinking about it and maybe getting an apartment isn't so bad. Michael is still young and Sean may or may not be promoted so things are iffy. If he does than a house is a great investment now but if not then I'm worried we won't be able to afford it."<br>"So than why not get an apartment until your certain, or until Michael is older to get a house?"  
>"That's what I was thinking but I wanted to talk it out and see if it made any sense."<br>"I get your worries, trust me. Have you told Sean?"  
>"Not really, but I plan to, now that I talked my thoughts through."<br>"Well happy to help." Sara couldn't help herself from laughing realizing how stupid she must have just sounded but Tamaki had just listened and gave real feedback, not like her other "friends" would have done.  
>"Well okay than, if you don't mind I need to get dinner started so we can eat at a decent hour tonight. See you at four."<br>"I'll be there."  
>"No sleeping."<br>"No sleeping."  
>Hugging Tamaki she ran out the door to get back to her apartment to start dinner.<p>

Tamaki got ready to head to Sara's at three thirty, after missing yesterday he wanted to make sure he wasn't late today. He really hoped Sean thought he was a good friend to Sara, not that he was worried that he was the type of person to tell Sara who she could and couldn't talk to but that still didn't mean he didn't want Sean to not like him.  
>"Hello, you must be Tamaki; Sara has told me a lot. Please come in. I'm Sean by the way, it's a pleasure to meet you."<br>"The pleasure is mine. Am I early?" Walking in he didn't see Sara, the apartment was smaller than his; that was strange he thought they were all the same.  
>"No you're right on time. Sara went to take care of Michael, she should be right out. Here sit, make yourself at home. I'm guessing dinner is just about ready. I am a horrible cook, thank god Sara can because if not than we were be ordering in every night. So do you cook?"<br>"I'm still learning." They started talking before Sara walked in with Michael so she could hand him to Sean in hopes he would stop crying while she finished dinner. She was happy seeing them talking on the couch and it looked like they were getting along as well as she thought. Well that was good; she wanted her best friend and her husband to be friends so it would never be awkward whenever they were together. She wasn't too worried that Sean wouldn't like him since he liked most of her friends but seeing them getting along and laughing made her happy inside and out.  
>"Hey you two stop flirting and come eat." Laughing even more they got up to eat, whatever Sara made smelled delicious. It was a good thing Sara knew they weren't and they knew she wasn't serious. Maybe that was why they were good friends and got along even though they only just met; they all had a sense of humor.<p>

Tamaki groaned in half boredom and half annoyance. He had been up since five thanks to being unable to get comfortable after his millionth trip to the bathroom and that was thanks to the fact that he was past his due date. Before, his child wanted to come months early and now they were two days late. He knew it was common but still, he hated it. It wouldn't be so bad is he wasn't uncomfortable all the time or was at least able to sleep. Flipping through the channels for the hundredth time he tried to find something to watch. Hopefully Sara would show up soon so he would have something to do. Sean was at work so they could probably get together before he got home and they went apartment hunting. Not that he wasn't happy for Sara but no matter where she moved to he would miss her. Maybe he would get lucky and the apartment would be cheap enough for him so they could live in the same building. He doubted it though because they were on two different financial levels and they could easily afford a two bedroom place where he would probably have to get a one bedroom unit. It was a nice thought though. Realizing it was noon already he got herself together to make some lunch. It was pointless to wait since he was hungry and if he waited it would only make him lazier as he learned yesterday.

Well that took longer than he would have liked. Looking over at the oven's clock he saw it was already two. He could have been done a lot sooner but he ended up completely burning his lunch the first time and learned it wasn't edible thanks to what he did to it. Well now he knew that when it was smoking that badly it was a "it's burning" sign not a "it's just smoke from how it's cooking" sign. This was why he wanted to cook more so he would learn and not make as many mistakes as he was. Though thinking about it this was the second thing he burned to the point of where he couldn't eat it so that wasn't too bad but still, he wanted to get to the point where he didn't burn anything. Getting up he grabbed his dishes to wash them, he had nothing better to do so he could do what little dishes he had from today. Scrubbing the plate in the sink it slipped from his fingers a weird feeling washed over him.  
><em>*Oh, please no.*<em> Already knowing what just happened he looked down at himself with one eye, shit he was right for once, why now out of all the times? Trying not to freak out over the fact that his water broke and he was alone he tried to breath and stay calm, or as calm as he could be right now. Thankfully Sara had told him a bunch of stories and gave him a ton of advice so he wouldn't panic completely. His calm state of mind didn't last more than a few seconds though as a contraction hit him harder than he ever could have imagined, leaning over the counter he tried to breath since he couldn't move right now. Why did the only phone have to be in the bedroom? Using the countertops and fridge he tried to stay up and walk to the bedroom, the pain was intense and getting worse by the second it seemed. God why did this have to be happing now, out of all the times it had to be the one where he was alone. Finally making it to the bed he grabbed the phone to call the doctor's office a few floors down, he knew should call the hospital but something told him he was going make it there in time. Clutching the phone he tried not to scream as the pain got worse, one number, he just had to call one number. The phone slipped from his fingers as his body lurched forward being taken off guard by a contraction, the last one hadn't even ended before this was came. Losing what little grip he had left on not panicking he started to cry knowing that he was going to have the baby here, alone, and any minute now. Trying to reach for the phone he stopped being unable to move from the pain that only became worse and more frequent. He cursed under his breath that out of all the labor stories he was told and read his had to be the one that didn't take hours, why did he have to be the odd one out right now.  
>"Someone, please." His tears increased as he sat against the backboard of her bed, terrified didn't even cover what he felt right now. He didn't know what to do exactly he was just going off what he felt. "Sara, Kyouya, Kyouya I'm sorry. Ahhhhh!" This was it, he knew it, he was going to give birth all alone, and uneducated. What if something went wrong? He didn't care about himself but his baby, who would help his baby?<br>"Tamaki? Hello, are you home?"  
>"Sara." His eyes opened wide as he tried to breath, Sara was here, she stopped by, oh thank you god. "Sara! Sara come here, help me please!" He wasn't sure if his voice was loud enough or if she understood but seeing Sara come running in made him cry tears of happiness right now.<br>"Oh sweetie! You're alright, I'm right here. Just breathe. How far apart are the contractions?"  
>"Seconds. Sara, the baby is coming and I don't know what to do. I'm scared."<br>"It's alright. You're doing great. Just keep breathing. Have you called downstairs, or your doctor?"  
>"Didn't have time for that. This started minutes ago." If he hadn't looked at a clock seconds before Sara came in he would have thought it was a lot longer than that but this had only been going on for five minutes. Grabbing the phone off the floor Sara called Tamaki's doctor to let her know that he was going into labor. It didn't look like she would make it but she needed to know that Tamaki was actually capable of doing this, that the baby wasn't in the wrong position. She knew how to deliver a baby, she had to too work here and she had done it before but she didn't know anything about Tamaki's pregnancy besides what he told her and that wasn't much.<br>"Saraaaa!"  
>"I'm right here hun. I just needed to get a few things to help you." Coming out of the bathroom she hung up with the doctor and unfolded a towel for once the baby was born.<br>"Okay Tamaki just keep breathing you're doing great. When you feel a contraction and the urge to push you go ahead and push alright."  
>"I…I can't, I'm not ready to have a baby, I messed up. I'm scared."<br>"Ssh, ssh it's alright. And you really don't have a choice now do you, but you're ready. You're going to be great I just know it and your child knows it too."  
>He didn't fully believe what Sara said but he didn't have a chance to argue with her as he gripped his sheets and bore down, this was it. His son or daughter was about to be born into the world, ready or not he was about to be a mother.<br>"Almost there Tamaki, take a deep breath and give me one last push." Taking a deep breath he followed what Sara told him, he could do this, he was strong enough, he wanted to meet his child. Exhaling, he tried to catch his breath while he waited to hear his baby cry. Waiting he tried not to panic, everything was fine, the baby was fine, "S…Sara, are they…are they alright?" Barely getting the words out he heard a wail fill his ears, watching Sara he saw hisbaby in her arms crying. "It's a boy, congratulations Tamaki it's a beautiful baby boy." Wrapping him in one of the other towels she grabbed she handed him over to Tamaki. The smile on his face widened even more than he thought possible as he went into his arms.

Sara sat on the bed beside Tamaki who still had his eyes locked on his child, and he said that he wasn't ready. The doctor had just left happy to report that both of them were doing well and everything had gone better than they could have hoped. Sara knew everything would be alright.  
>"He is quite a cutie, does he have a name yet?"<br>"I hadn't thought about names and since I didn't know what I was having I didn't really think about it. He looks like his father….his father." Wrapping an arm around his shoulders Sara gave him a hug as best she could.  
>"Sweetie, would you like me to call the father, or anyone for you? I could leave a message or something, just some small hint that their son is beautiful and healthy."<br>"No it's alright, thanks though. It's better this way. What should a name you huh? Something French would be best I think."  
>"Any part of your name French? I know you said you were from Japan but you told me you were born in France right?"<br>"René, René Kyouya Suoh. Kyouya after his father. I can't get over how much he looks like his father, I always knew my child would be beautiful but he is almost a splitting image, I hate to think what he look like when he is older."  
>"Fathers will hide their daughters."<br>"Hear that René you're going to be quite the heart breaker once you older. But I'm not going to be thinking about that too much."  
>"Good call, that time will be here soon enough."<br>"Sara, I hate to ask but do you mind putting him in his crib? I don't feel safe getting up with him in my arms right now."  
>"Of course, you really shouldn't move much right now anyway. You're body is exhausted, short labor or not your body is still going to be tired. You go ahead and hand him over to me. I'll take care of him while you get some sleep, don't you worry about a thing."<br>"Thanks Sara I really appreciate it."  
>"Don't mention it. I'm going to be René's favorite Aunt."<br>"That's because you'll be his only aunt."  
>"He doesn't have to know that. Now I'll stop so you can get some rest."<br>Watching his son in Sara's arms his eyes followed her as she went into the living room area. With a smile on his face he closed his eyes and let his body's exhaustion take over. Sara was right he was tired from delivering. Moving his body a little closer together he fell asleep allowing his mind to wander.  
><em>*Kyouya, you're a dad, and he is beautiful just like you. I promise I will be the best mother I can be for our son and whether he knows it or not he will know you in his heart and soul. I love you.* <em>

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Last chapter for 2011! Monday hopefully will bring a new chapter to start 2012 off right. Please review.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Feeling light on his face Tamaki opened his eyes to see the sun setting, what time was it then, around six? Sitting up he allowed his body to tell him he was still sore, that's right he had his son just hours before, that would take some getting used to that was for sure. It felt strange to not feel him moving and kicking inside him as he had been for months. But he was here now; he could actually hold him and watch him which seemed to be an equal trade in his book.  
>"Oh Tamaki you are up, I thought so. Dinner is just about ready."<br>Standing up he saw Sara over his stove making something that smelled good now that he allowed his nose to pick the scent up.  
>"You didn't have to cook for me, I could have managed."<br>"You say that but come on be real now. Why do you think most spend at least a day in the hospital after giving birth, it's to give their bodies time to recover. Since you didn't want to go and there was no need for you to I am here to help you get settled and not over due it."  
>"Thanks Sara."<br>"No need to thank me just doing my job as a friend and supporter."  
>Going into his bathroom to wash his face and wake up a little more he stopped at the crib, René was sleeping soundly in it, he still couldn't believe that was really his son he was looking at.<br>"Surreal huh?"  
>"Yea, hard to believe he is really here."<br>"Welcome to motherhood."

Sitting at the table he watched as Sara put a plate down in front of him.  
>"There is plenty so if you want more don't be afraid to ask."<br>"Thanks."  
>"You should really be in bed still but as long as you don't try anything stupid I'll allow it got it."<br>"Yes, I understand. I can't believe I feel so blah."  
>"You're talking to the woman that was in labor for eighteen hours, I get how you feel. But like I said it's normal, ten minutes or ten hours doesn't mean that much for a body."<br>"Eighteen hours? How did you do it? I was losing my mind, and ten minutes, really?"  
>"Yep I went into labor at eleven thirty in the morning and Michael was born at five am the next morning. And well you told me when your water broke and when I showed up so yea ten minutes. It's rare but not unheard of. You know for it being your first time and being alone you did really well."<br>"Who were you with cause I was freaking out. I was scared out of my mind and hearing your voice was like a prayer had been answered."  
>"I think everyone freaks out more or less but you weren't in some corner hyperventilating which, happens a lot more than you think here."<br>"I guess."  
>"Don't do that; don't sell yourself short like that. It will only make you doubt yourself later on trust me."<br>"Okay I'll try not I promise."  
>They ate in silence, Tamaki didn't realize how hungry he was until he practically inhaled the food on his plate and just about did the same for the second. Funny because he did eat lunch, having a baby really took a lot of you it seemed, way more than people let on. Hearing René start crying he went to get him only to be stopped. Sara didn't want him up and lifting him yet it seemed. Having the choice of going to the bed or loveseat he chose the loveseat and waited for Sara to bring him to him.<br>"He is probably hungry. Give me a second and I'll make a bottle for him."  
>"Oh okay, once you'll let me you need to show me how to do it exactly."<br>"I will don't worry but just so you know there are instructions on the container that you can follow."  
>While he waited for Sara he watched as he took his finger in his little hand, he could feel his heart turning to butter with him here. He made a silent promise to him to do his best in giving him everything he desired. Everything he had done and gone through and all that still lay covered in darkness ahead was worth it just to hold him. There was not a single doubt in his mind that he didn't do the right thing and that included having him live together and not some other family.<br>"Here you go Tamaki." Freeing his hand to grab the bottle he hoped he didn't screw this up. It didn't seem too hard but he was never really taught how to feed a baby and he had no prior practice, that was one thing he always let Sara do with Michael.  
>"Hey I did it! He took the bottle!"<br>"Of course he did, because you gave it to him. He loves his mommy." Well so far so good, he felt pretty good about this so far; maybe he would be able to handle raising a baby on his own. It didn't seem as hard as his mind made him believe before. Once he finished with it he learned what to do next, he could handle this no problem. He knew he could handle it just like he thought before he left home. If others were able to do it than he would to, he was smart and capable. Tamaki pulled his eyes from René for a second hearing a knock at the door. Who could that be? He wasn't expecting anyone since Sara was already here. Maybe it was Sean?  
>"I'll get it." Sara got up from next to him to get the door, she had an idea who that was though she never met them so maybe not.<br>"Oh, umm, hello, does Tamaki live here?"  
>Looking up again from René he saw Celine in the doorway, what was she doing here? He didn't call her and as far as he knew she wasn't planning to stop by. Sara let her in and Tamaki watched as Celine's face lit up.<br>"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"  
>"Hi Celine."<br>"I didn't think you would be here, I had called to see how you were doing and they told me you were having or just had the baby but I didn't think you would be home so soon."  
>"Oh, well I never actually left."<br>"What? Look at him he is so cute!"  
>"His name is René."<br>Sitting next to Tamaki they started talking where she was properly introduced to René and Sara. Celine was in shock of what Tamaki told her that he had only been born a few hours ago. It was nice to see her again since he hadn't talked to her in weeks always afraid to bother her at home if she was getting ready for work or doing something.  
>"So you called me before?"<br>"Yep, just before, around two thirty I guess. I thought I had the wrong number because the voice that answered didn't sound like you. That must have been you Sara wasn't it."  
>"It was, Tamaki was asleep or just about and I didn't want to wake him." They sat around for a little while and talked until Celine had to get going. She had just gotten off work, she had called during him lunch to see if Tamaki would like company for a little bit after only to learn he was having the baby meaning she was definitely going to visit him. She had called to see what hospital he was at and was confused when they said he wasn't. Curious and feeling they had the wrong person pulled up she showed up. She never would have guessed Tamaki would have the baby at home, though it sounded like he didn't have much choice.<br>"Congratulations Tamaki. If you need something let me know, I work right next to a grocery store and have no problems picking something up for you." Giving him a big hug she stroked René's cheek, she couldn't get over how adorable he was. Sure most babies were but he was something else, though eyes were heart stoppers. "Good-bye René it was nice to finally meet you."  
>"Thanks for stopping by Celine and the basket is beautiful."<br>"Anytime. I'll talk to later. Nice meeting you Sara."

"What about Michael?"  
>"Sean is watching him. As a supporter I will spend the night to help you, you need rest Tamaki trust me."<br>"And Sean is okay with this?"  
>"It's my job so yes he is. And he is glad I get to do this, usually I don't." Tamaki sat on his bed holding René who had just fallen asleep in his arms. His heart would never become solid again at this rate. He felt bad though that Sara would spend the night to help him while she was away from her own child. It would be nice to have help but he could manage he was sure of it. Most single mothers didn't have help and he was no different, he didn't want special treatment. Something told him not to argue with Sara though for it would be a losing battle. She was really good when it came to fights; he wondered if he could learn how she did it. Could be a really good tactic against people, but then he would need someone to fight against, and that was something he didn't have and didn't think he would ever have someone like that in his life again. Oh well, it wasn't that big of a loss, he had René in his life now and he was the only one he really needed.<p>

Rolling over Tamaki's eyes popped open hearing a baby crying. Sitting up he remembered it was his son, his son was crying.  
>"You can go back to sleep Tamaki, I've got him." Looking over at his crib he saw Sara lifting him up, he didn't sleep all that well it felt like. Maybe it was good Sara was here, he didn't think he could stand at the moment, he felt groggy and out of it.<br>"Can you hand him to me please."  
>"Sure, if you insist. But then you're going back to bed."<br>"I'll try." Taking René from Sara he tried to get him to settle down while Sara grabbed a bottle for him.  
>"What's wrong René, hmmm. Mommy is right here. Are you hungry, is that it?"<br>"Aunt Sara to the rescue then."  
>"Thanks Sara." Taking the bottle from her he wasn't too surprised to see him start drinking from it; obviously that was what he wanted. People weren't kidding when they talked about nighttime feedings. Who knew infants ate so much, for someone so small they were always hungry it seemed. As long as his son was happy that was all that really mattered, he would feed him as much as he wanted; hold him as much as he wanted, so long as it made him happy. Once he was taken care of and had fallen back to sleep he handed him back to Sara so he could go back in his crib until he woke up again. Laying back down he tried to fall asleep, it was hard to fall and stay asleep knowing his son could cry and he wanted to be able to hear him.<br>"Hey Sara?"  
>"Is everything alright Tamaki?"<br>"Is the first night always like this?"  
>"Welcome to motherhood."<br>"Greeeaaat." Rolling over he tried to close his eyes and keep them shut for a little while at the very least. No wonder the doctor told him once René was born to nap during the day whenever he did. At this rate he would need it. 

The next morning, after a nice hot shower he noticed he was feeling better. Not "let's run a marathon" better but well enough to get out of bed and take care of René better. He wanted to show Sara he was alright on his own so she could be with her own son. He felt bad that she wasn't with him, he didn't want to be without René and Sara was probably feeling the same thing with Michael. Though trying to straighten up was proving to be a little much for him at the moment. Watching Sara give him the "I'm warning you" face he stopped trying to push his body past what it felt okay doing. The apartment wasn't too much of a mess so it could stay as it was for a day or two he guessed. Hearing René start to cry he went to the fridge to see if he had any bottles Sara made yesterday left. He was too out of it to know for sure yesterday. Seeing one left he pulled it out and wondered what to do from here. It was cold and he figured he couldn't give it to him like that but he couldn't let it sit out and heat up either.  
>"Run it under warm water for a minute or two that's all you need. You never want to microwave it for it will be too hot. Here let me show you." Taking the bottle from his hands Sara put it under the water running from the kitchen sink. She kept it there for a minute before turning the water off and grabbing Tamaki's wrist.<br>"This is how you test it. Put a little on your wrist and make sure it doesn't feel too hot. There how does that feel?"  
>"Pretty good."<br>Testing it herself to be sure she handed it to Tamaki so he could feed René.  
>"You want it to be like that every time. It might take you a few times to remember but don't worry, just remember to use warm water and you'll be fine."<br>"Will do. I think I can do it, I thought it was a lot harder than that since it was cold."  
>"Nope, like I've been saying most things are easier than people think. Remember though if making it to give to him right away you don't have to do anything but make the bottle."<br>"Right." Trying to figure out how to lift him with the bottle in his hands he placed it in his crib for a second to pick him up and then grabbed the bottle again to feed him. Maybe once he became not so worried about dropping him if both his hands weren't on him he would be able to hold the bottle and lift him up. This seemed to work well though so he wasn't going to stress over it. He had enough he was kind of stressing over and he didn't need any more. Maybe that's why Sara insisted on staying with him to help, because she saw him stressing over certain things. Like wanting to run to René the second he started crying, or always checking him while he was sleeping to make sure he was alright. Thinking about it he was worrying a lot more than he thought, maybe having Sara stay wasn't such a bad idea after all. It certainly made him feel better to get her advice and knowledge without feeling like a bother to keep asking for it. Sara always seemed to know when to lend knowledge.

After staying with him for two days Tamaki was okay with the thought that she was going back home. He felt bad for having her stay with him that long and away from her own son. Since having René he wasn't crazy about leaving him for anything and it must have been tough on her to spend a couple of days without him. Though he knew she would sneak out for a few minutes to go to her apartment and make sure Sean and Michael were doing alright, but she would only leave if she knew Tamaki was alright on his own and René wasn't about to wake up.  
>"If you need something don't hesitate to call me. I'm just down the hall don't forget that."<br>"Thanks Sara."  
>"And, no matter what people tell you don't forget that you love your son."<br>"But I do love my son."  
>"I know that but this place makes a profit from mothers that settle for adoption. They push it here and they like pushing the thought that single mothers, no matter what age, won't be able to handle it on their own. Don't let them get to you. You will and are doing fine."<br>"I promise I won't let them change my mind."  
>"Good, then I'll talk to you later. Don't forget there are meals I made for you in the freezer."<br>"Sara go, I've got this."  
>"Right, right, I know, sorry." Giving him a giant hug she gathered her things and walked out. Sticking his head out the door Tamaki yelled after Sara, "And tell Sean I said thanks for letting me borrow you for a couple of days, Michael too."<br>Walking backwards Sara smiled and saluted at him before turning back around and walked down the hall to the stairs to go to the first floor, which was right underneath them.

Closing the door Tamaki took a deep breath before checking on René, he could do this, he did it while Sara was here but he wasn't relying on Sara for everything.  
>"Mommy's got this, right René? Of course I do because I'm smart and capable and you like me. Well I hope you like me, so far you haven't given me a reason to think otherwise so I'm going with it." Seeing him sleeping soundly he watched him sleep for a little bit before trying to straighten up. Might as well take advantage of it before he needed a nap and before he woke up, it was a good thing he was always sleeping it seemed. He would wake up, eat, get changed, he would play with him for a little while and then off he would go. He would fall asleep in his arms and would stay that way for hours before he had to do it all over again. It was a routine so he wasn't complaining, in fact he was grateful. Sara had told him stories about babies that cried a lot and had trouble falling asleep and he worried that could be René since it didn't sound too uncommon. So far so good though, he really was like his father. Something told him Kyouya was a quiet baby, and Kyouya probably would have guessed he was a fussy one since he had always said he talked a lot and was always on the move.<p>

His goal of straightening up didn't last more than twenty minutes, after pulling out the old towels from the bathroom and adding new ones and cleaning some bottles that he had Sara not worry about so she could get home sooner he was ready for a nap on the couch. He wasn't going to bother with the bed knowing it was a lost cause for napping. For some reason all he did was toss and turn, at night and at during the day when he was on it. Placing his head on the arm rest he shut his eyes and tried not to worry about not hearing René should he wake up. He had already learned that he was a light sleeper and he was loud so waking up wasn't that big of a problem. Within five minutes his eyes were shut and he was out for a few hours. When he woke up it was close to four, getting up he checked on René and saw he was waking up, perfect timing.  
>"Hey there sleepy head. Want to come to mommy?"<br>Picking him up he brought him to the living room for a minute realizing he was still groggy from the nap, apparently his body tried to sleep. Not the best idea, he wanted to sleep during the night and not be up for it. He was cute staring up at him, not that he had much choice in the matter but still it made him feel pretty good. Sara told him not to freak out if he didn't look at his eyes for awhile, that it was normal and he was fine with that. He wasn't really worried about health issues so much as just not liking him. Which when he thought about it, was a really stupid thought. Something about whose child he was just didn't make him worry too much about health issues. If anything he may need glasses but that wasn't too big a deal. Most new parents worried about breathing issues, or other disorders but it just wasn't that big a concern. He was certain René would be a healthy child.  
>"Now don't go proving mommy wrong okay? That would not be good." Seeing him start to squirm in his arms he got up to feed him, and the routine started again it looked like.<p>

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>Happy New Year! First chapter of the New Year and I hope you guys liked it. Please review and I hope to have the next chapter up by Friday but classes start again for me tomorrow so I'm going to try my best.<br>~Femalefighter~


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer- **I own nothing!

Tamaki had just finished changing René when he heard a knock at the door; if that was Sara he was going to yell at her for checking on him. Looking through the hole he noticed it was Julie, Amelle, and Mirabelle. That was weird he never told them where he was staying. Celine probably told Julie, who told Maggie, who told Amelle who told Mirabelle. Well whatever he was happy to see them all the same.  
>"Tamaki!"<br>" Hello everyone, please come in, it's great to see you all."  
>"This must be René, he is adorable."<br>"Thank you. Please go ahead and sit wherever." They stepped in enough for him to close the door but seemed to hover by it until he moved to the loveseat. No point in standing, and he felt safest in a chair with him in his arms.  
>"Celine called and told us on Tuesday that he was born, we would have come sooner but we figured you could use the rest and time alone to get settled."<br>"Thanks, you could have though I wouldn't have minded at all. And Mirabelle what about the bakery? It's Friday isn't it? Aren't you busy today trying to deal with the weekend orders?"  
>"Denis can manage; he sends his love and says Congratulations. Once René is old enough you need to bring to the bakery. And Tamaki, I'm sorry about what happened, I wish I could have talked to you sooner. I'm sorry I never stopped by at the hospital."<br>"Please don't worry about it. It was the best thing that could have happened for me. And you were busy, I understand. I was surprised Denis stayed with all day when I was admitted."  
>Watching Mirabelle relax in her chair a little more he saw how worried she had been, that she had been thinking about it a lot. She seemed to have been concerned about coming here today for fear of how awkward it could be.<br>"He has your eyes."  
>"That's the only thing of mine he has; he has his father hair and face."<br>Figuring the others would like to hold him he happily handed him over to them, letting them fight over who would first. His arms loved holding his son but a break was always nice. Plus he trusted everyone with him. Mirabelle wouldn't hurt him since she was a mother herself and probably had that fear when her kids were born and Julie was a nurse. She took care of people for a living so she probably wouldn't hurt his son. Not to mention Amelle was super sweet and kind and out of all them he was the one he trusted the most with René. He could tell he was getting tired while Julie was holding him; he was starting to squirm and about to cry. Taking him back hopefully before he could start he held him and tried to get him to relax and fall asleep. This was probably the longest he had been up since he was born. He was proud he made it this long, he was pushing three hours, it was a new record.

After he had fallen asleep in his arms he kept him with him to make he he didn't wake up and not to seem rude to his guests. He was so happy to see them again they had no idea. He had meant to call them but didn't want to bother them at work, he had planned to call them tomorrow and let them know.  
>"So how's motherhood? You look exhausted so it must be going well."<br>He couldn't help but smile at Amelle's little joke, it really had been too long he since stopped by her café.  
>"Oh it's going great. Someone needs to tell me though, will I ever sleep? And I don't mean get a full night's sleep just the sleep that doesn't worry about every little sound."<br>"Nope." Both Amelle and Mirabelle answered at the same time.  
>"You get better with dealing with it but you will never sleep again, even once he is older. Especially when he is older."<br>"I didn't want to hear that Mirabelle, couldn't you have lied?" Still though he managed to laugh, it wasn't that bad. He had never been a big sleeper like René's father was so missing a few hours every night, or waking up to every noise he did and didn't make wasn't that big of a deal.  
>"And take all the fun out of watching your reaction? No way."<br>"Oh, Tamaki dear, may I use your oven?"  
>"My oven? Sure if you need it. Wait, guys, you didn't bring food did you?"<br>"Of course we did dear. You saw us carry things in. Fresh from my café it just needs to be heated a little. We stopped by unannounced and you need to take it easy and rest while you can."  
>"You guys are something else you know that."<br>"Oh! And I brought a cake for dessert."  
>"I brought my hands for the dishes, I'm a good cook and all but I can't compare to these two professionals." Tamaki looked at his friends, they were too much, the best but two much. He did miss Amelle's cooking though.<br>"Besides your hands are a little full so you can't cook anyway and fresh food is always better than takeout."  
>"I could have put him down and made us something. You know what fine. The kitchen is yours." They jumped up to get started. Julie and Mirabelle went through his cabinets looking for his dishes and silverware while Amelle got the oven preheated. It was a sight to see them all working together to get dinner ready and make sure he didn't move. As far as he knew they never met before his baby shower and it didn't look like they talked to each other, well besides Amelle and Mirabelle but the three of them looked like they had been friends for years. Being called for dinner he placed René in his crib and went to eat what they brought. Whatever Amelle just heated up smelled incredible, he loved Sara's cooking but Amelle's was still one of his favorites. Taking a bite he let his mouth water at the flavor, so yummy.<br>"I think he likes it." The three of them watched his face light up as it touched his tongue.

Finishing up he was forced to stay seated and just tell Julie which sponge to use on the dishes. Though he figured she was just teasing because the only other one he had was the bottle one which you could clearly tell didn't work on plates.  
>An hour or so later Mirabelle unveiled the cake she brought over which looked fantastic. It had blue frosting with balloons all around the sides. She had even written on top "Happy Birth Day René."<br>"Oh wow Mirabelle, it looks incredible."  
>"Can you believe I did this all this morning after the breakfast rush."<br>"Yes, yes I can. I worked with you remember."  
>Having a piece he realized he hadn't had cake like this in months, since his birthday back in April as a matter of fact. It was as good as that one too, he really knew some incredible people here that was for sure.<p>

They didn't realize it was so late until Julie's watch went off telling her it was nine o'clock. Getting ready to go they gathered their things and let Tamaki actually walk them to his door to say good-bye.  
>"Thanks for everything you guys it's really means a lot to me. René appreciates it too, or he would if he was able to."<br>"Oh you're welcome. Let us know if you ever need anything. We all cook, we all love to cook."  
>Hugging them tightly he let them go for the night. He would have to do this again sometime. Maybe without them feeling that they had to cook but they would have to get together. He had a lot of fun with them and they were funny all together.<p>

Tamaki crashed across the loveseat as he let out a giant exhale. He loved seeing everybody but being it was his first day alone he was exhausted. Maybe he would sleep well tonight and not toss and turn. It was doubtful but he wasn't going to lose hope yet. Without counting the sleep though, today had gone really well. He made it through the first day alone, if he could make it through the first day alone, if he could make it through the next and the next. Yep he would be fine, no problem, the only thing he had to worry about was work and when he moved out of here but he could worry about that later. It couldn't be forgotten about since he would only have a month here before he needed to move out now that René was born. With Sara's help he could find a place he was certain of it. Sara was always over and she was looking for a place for herself so she might have come across one that would be perfect. And that was enough of that, tomorrow was another day right now he wanted to focus on his son. Monday everything was open and he could think harder about it then. Thinking about René he got up to pick him up and hold him for a little while. He may still be sleeping but that didn't mean he couldn't hold him. Sara warned him about waking him and it could make him fuzzy but he wasn't trying to wake him he just wanted to hold him. Picking him up he tried to quiet him before he started to cry. Smiling as he started to settle back to sleep he sat on the bed to just relax and enjoy the night with his son.

"So how did it go all by yourself?"  
>"It went well, René slept well, woke up during the night as he had been and it was a little harder to get him back to sleep but when he did he slept until he was hungry again."<br>"Well that's good to hear. I can't wait until he is old enough and able to interact with others more so we can have him meet Michael."  
>"Isn't that still pretty far off?"<br>"Never to early in my mind." He couldn't hold back the smile he got from Sara's enthusiasm over their sons being friends. He wanted them to be close as much as she did. Only she seemed to be pushing it harder than he had planned on. So long as she wasn't going crazy trying to think of ways to make them close he would let Sara have her way. He trusted her not to do anything stupid and put their kids in danger.

Sticking to his plan of apartment hunting on Monday he bought a paper and with the help of Sara's laptop pulled up a bunch of listing. Sara had made it bluntly obvious that she wanted to have them live in the same building if possible. If not, than one close to the other. Tamaki was pleasantly surprised at all the apartments that had both single and multiple bedroom units; he had focused on cheap places so he had never looked into what the other rooms each place had. And coming from Japan and money he never really looked into how apartment complex's were set up. That was Kyouya's thing, he was always doing research on how standard people lived.  
>"This place is really nice."<br>"You think so? I liked it too. So that's a maybe and the other single bedroom units are nice as well."  
>"Sean is going to hate me if he knew you were doing all of this for me."<br>"Oh he knows and doesn't mind. He likes the idea that I would know someone already since it can be hard to make new friends with an infant and not much free time.  
>"I don't want him to hate me and think anything."<br>"Don't worry he loves you and he isn't at all the jealous type. He is happy I have male friends."  
>"Plus, I hope he knows I would never try anything. Your great and I care for you but you're just a friend to me." Not to mention there was an eight year gap between them, he didn't want to be with someone that was over four years older than him.<br>"That too. I would never tell him things you told me unless it's life saving but I told him you were in love and not to worry. Also I would never try anything to hurt my marriage. So you really like this place?"  
>"I do, the rooms are light and hold a great view from what I can tell."<br>"And what about you?"  
>Looking through everything he realized the single unit wasn't too expensive. He wouldn't really know if he could afford it until he was working again and knew how much money he was making. He had to hope he got the same amount of hours he had before though he had a son to think about now and couldn't work all day like he was used too. Crap, he had to think about a babysitter, that was an expense he hadn't considered before.<br>"I know that look, what are you worrying about?"  
>"Nothing, don't worry about it."<br>"Tamaki we're best friends you can talk to me. What's the problem?"  
>"I was just thinking about what I'll do once I go back to work?"<br>"I'll babysit!"  
>"No way! You've already done so much for me."<br>"But it will be perfect. I am quitting my job here in a few weeks so I'll have all day and I have no problem watching René along with Michael. You don't even have to pay me."  
>"I don't know…" But that would be perfect. He could give her everything she would need instead of cash and then she wouldn't have to spend money on René. "Only if your fine with it and Sean is fine with it."<br>"Good boy. I know you worked odd hours and two jobs but we can figure it all out another time."  
>He would have to too because he couldn't work all day and night every day. He could do a nine to five at both stores seven days a week, it wouldn't give him a lot of extra money but he would be alright he was sure of it. He knew they wouldn't have a lot but they would get by and once René started school he planned to go back and finish high school and then, maybe college, hopefully allowing them both to have a better life.<p>

It felt strange leaving the housing he had been at. There was something about it that for the first time he felt safe. Now he had to go back into the real world and back to work in the next week since the doctor gave the okay for him to do so. René was doing well and was up to date with all his shots so that made him feel better about moving out. Not that he had much of a choice, that was a term to the housing. That was the only downside to this place; you only had a month after having a baby to get your life together. Thanks to Sara and all she had done for him though he wasn't terrified of leaving or what he would do once he went back to work. Life was picking back up to what it was before only now René was here which wasn't too bad.  
>"Here we are René, what do you think of our new place?" Opening the door to his new apartment he stood in the doorway holding René in his car seat, he was more than grateful it had come with the stroller. Right now holding him in it was much easier than pushing him. With Julie's help to get stuff over it only took one trip to bring his furniture over. The challenge was putting some of it back together but he could work on the after everything else was in and in the right spot. René seemed content where he was right now so he wasn't in too big a rush.<br>"You don't have tools do you Tamaki?"  
>"Oh crap, no I don't. I used yours to take the crib and bed apart."<br>"I thought so, no problem I brought them with me."  
>Well so much for that, he had completely forgotten he had used Sean's tools when they realized things wouldn't fit through the door. He couldn't remember how they got it in when he moved into the housing.<br>"Don't worry about getting them back to me right away. We aren't moving in until Thursday and I have more so we should be alright."  
>"If you say so." That worked though, he would have it all done by Thursday no problem.<p>

Once everyone left he got the crib up, luckily for him it wasn't too hard to figure out. He could tell René was getting cranky in the car seat so that had to be done first. He probably also wanted to be held since he had been packing and unpacking all day and only really stopped to be with him when he was hungry. He had been such a good boy all day he could stop for now.  
>"Want out René? There we go!" As he played with him he wondered if he would sleep tonight since he slept basically all day. That wouldn't be good if he didn't, he couldn't stay up all night, well his body couldn't anyway.<br>"I know I'll just play with you until you tire out. I am a genius!" Humoring himself he watched René staring at him, studying him.  
>"You're your father's son for sure."<br>René reached up a little trying to reach his face, he was a only a little over a month old but he was growing so much already. It was amazing to watch.

Reclining in the chair he had in the living room he tried to stay awake. René was still up and not only was he up but he was crying. Exhausted from being busy all day and not sure what René wanted he tried to stay calm. It was too late to call Sara for ideas on what to do.  
>"What's wrong René? You aren't hungry, you aren't too hot or too cold, you don't want me to put you down, I'm out of ideas." He had tried music, talking to him, TV, rocking, walking, playing with him, staying still, but nothing worked and all he wanted was for him to fall asleep so he could go to bed. Changing arms he stood up to make something to keep him alert since he figured René wasn't going to stop crying any time soon. At least he didn't seem too loud and wake the neighbors. That was the last thing he needed right now. Opening the fridge he debated making coffee, the caffeine would help but then he would really be up all night.<br>"Uhhhhh!"  
>Hearing René start to cry louder he stopped, closed the fridge and tried to comfort him.<br>"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. Please stop crying René." After a minute or so he lowered down, he had a feeling he wouldn't stop crying though and he didn't. "You have a set of lungs on you you know that. You've been crying non-stop for hours now." Walking into his bedroom he saw his bed and couldn't help but think of how nice it would be to be in it.  
>"René I have an idea so bare with me alright. Yes, yes, I know you don't like this but hold on its only for a second." Putting him in his crib he walked over to his bed and pushed it against the wall, folding his comforter he folded it tightly and wedged it between the bed and wall. Pulling the sheets back and removing a pillow he lifted René up and laid in bed with him. He knew Sara advised against this for varies reasons but it was just this once. Making sure he was safe and nothing was near him that could pass as a threat he watched René settle down, so this is what he wanted, to be near him but not as close as they were.<br>"I guess I'll have to buy a mat for you since believe it or not I can sleep on the floor as well as I sleep on the bed." Yawning he watched him fall asleep before he closed his eyes.

He woke up practically snapping his eyes open. Seeing René was still besides him and asleep he relaxed. He wasn't sure what it was but he had a feeling hit him while he was sleeping. It must have just been a dream and his mind worrying about René throughout the night. Staying in bed he watched him sleep not wanting to wake him and not being able to get over how cute he was. No matter what he was doing he was adorable.  
>"Well good morning." Watching him squirm and wake up Tamaki got out of bed to pick him up and carry him out of the bedroom. He was glad the crying fit René was in last night seemed to be over. He still planned to go out and get that mat just in case he started up again tonight. He really hoped that once he started work René would stay as good as he was most days for Sara so she wouldn't change her mind. She was doing him a huge favor by not having him worry about hiring someone.<br>'You're going to meet Michael next week, I know you're too young to fully enjoy the company but you will like having a best friend, trust me. I had one before I met Sara and I loved him He is your daddy. Not saying you have to fall in love with Michael I'm just saying that was the case for me." René started cooing in Tamaki's arms, he seemed to want to hear more stories. Done, he would tell him all the stories he wanted and it was a great developing tool from what Sara told him.  
>"Now I have an excuse to talk so much, thanks René."<p>

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

So I started work right before Christmas and they had me working a ton of hours a week and now with school started again I have literally been running from school to work so I have had little to time to do anything else. My school work is feeling this as well as my stories. I go on spring break in a couple weeks so I plan to write as much as I can during that week. Please review and don't hate me for taking forever. Thanks  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Tamaki still wasn't' sure about this, he was grateful and appreciated it but he didn't want to put Sara out. He had to go back to work today to make sure he could pay rent and get the things René needed but Sara also had a three month old of her own to take care of.  
>"Hi there René, ready to spend the day with Aunt Sara?" Taking him from Tamaki she walked into the apartment to get him settled. Tamaki walked in to place René's bag down for her and noticed he didn't see Sean; he must be at work already. He wondered if he even knew of this little arrangement.<br>"Are you sure about this Sara? It's not that I don't trust you it's just I don't want to be an inconvenience "  
>"Nonsense, I offered because it's fine. Now go, off to work you go before you're late. He'll be fine I promise. If you want you can call on your breaks alright."<br>"Thanks again for this." Hugging her quickly he was pushed out of the apartment so he could get to his job. He was definitely calling as soon as he could to make sure Sara was alright. He hated leaving his son but he had to if they wanted to be together.

It felt strange being back at work, he had been out so long he forgot how physical some of it was. It was a miracle neither René nor himself were harmed by any of it. Thinking about it he probably shouldn't have been lifting most of the boxes that he was even they had been on a u-boat or not. Twenty pounds was still twenty pounds and he could really hurt himself since everyone told him he wasn't supposed to lift anything heavy.  
>"Tamaki are you almost done filling the aisle yet, I need you to tag this."<br>"Just about sir. I'll do that in a minute."  
>Something told him that between work and René he would fall asleep pretty easily at night. Which was good since he tossed and turned over any little sound thinking it was René waking up, no matter how much time passed he knew that wouldn't change either.<p>

At five he tried not to run to the time clock and punch out. He couldn't wait to get to Sara's so he could pick René up, oh how he missed him. Even though he called on his lunch to see how things were going he couldn't wait to see him again. That was the one big down side to the new apartment though, it was further from the store than the last one. Getting to the building he ran up the stairs to Sara's floor and knocked waiting for her to enter. He was trying not to fidget so much but he was excited knowing his son was so close.  
>"Hi Tamaki I figured that was you. René is asleep in the crib. Obviously you don't need my permission to go see him." Walking into the apartment he walked into Sara's bedroom to see René starting to wake up.<br>"Hey there René, did you miss me?" Picking him up he was happy to see him in a good mood. He feared he would be crying when he got here and Sara would be a mess from it.  
>"How did it go today?" He saw Sara walking in holding Michael.<br>"Better than you could have imagined. René was such a good boy and was happy to sleep with Michael. Not that he had much choice but the boys got along perfect together. I can already tell they are going to get along swimmingly."  
>"So I heard you were a good boy, of course you were because you're my son. <em>And <em>you get along with Michael and on your way to making a friend. That's what mommy wants to hear." Talking for a few minutes Tamaki decided to get going so he could relax and work on dinner before René got fussy. He also wanted to give Sara a break before Sean got home and she started dinner.

Getting home he debated what he wanted to do. He was hungry but René was up and he wanted to spend time with him while he was and to make up for leaving him while he worked.  
>"René want to help mommy with dinner? As soon as I figure out what that will be." Watching his son squirm but not about to ready to cry he stopped to play with him for a little bit. It was a good thing Sara made a ton of meals for him she had stayed here because he had saved some of them for moments like this. Pre-heating the oven he went to play with René while he waited. He knew he was still too young to really play with him but he would talk and keep him company and calm. Sara told him lullabies were great for times like this. Now if only he could remember some his mother used on him. "Well we can't have everything now can we René." Hearing the oven beeping to tell it was pre-heated he left René on the play mat and ran to put dinner in the oven. He couldn't wait until it was heated up, he was so hungry.<br>"You have it so easy René you know that, breakfast, lunch, dinner, you have the same thing. I on the other hand have to think of some thing for each meal. You are so lucky to have it so easy. No cares, no worries, you have me at your beck and call; I'm practically your servant. I wish I could be you sometimes you know that." Playing with his hands he listened to the adorable sounds René was making until he started to pull away and get cranky.  
>"Alright I get it your tired of me for right now. Are you tired, do you want to just stay here? Will you let mommy make a plate so he can eat while he watches you." Watching him just look around the best he could he jumped up to turn the oven off and put some chicken franchise on a plate. He was cool with eating on his lap since it seemed René wasn't ready to fall back asleep yet.<p>

He didn't know what to do anymore, walking back and forth in the bedroom trying to get him to settle down for the night. René had been crying all night and he couldn't figure out why. He needed to settle down so he could fall asleep before he had to get up to go to work in a few hours. Could he be getting sick? He had looked into everything else it and it didn't seem to be anything but it was mid-November and the weather had cooled down. He didn't feel warm though. What was wrong with his son? Moments like this he wished he had help. He needed someone besides Sara that he could turn to and get a second opinion on especially when it was midnight.  
>"What's wrong René, huh? You're okay, everything is okay." He could tell he was uncomfortable since his crying didn't sound normal and he didn't want food. He had tried getting him in different clothes, that didn't work but something was definitely wrong. What should he do, it was late everything but hospitals were closed and there was no way he could afford that. Never would he deny René a doctor but a hospital bill was the worst thing he could get hit with. There was no way he could pay that and pay rent, and buy René what he needed, and buy himself food. Terrified of things getting worse he picked up the phone to call Sara. He hated waking her or Sean but he needed help, René needed help and he was out of ideas.<p>

Opening the door he let Sara in, she rushed in and followed Tamaki to René's crib.  
>"I'm sorry I woke you but I didn't know what to do anymore and I was getting worried."<br>"No I'm glad you did. When babies get sick it can get serious quickly and have consequences. Did this just start?"  
>"Around nine, yes. He became fuzzy and hasn't settled down since. I can tell something is wrong but I can't figure out what."<br>"He feels a little warm, a slight fever is likely but I think it's more internal than that."  
>"Sara, I…I'm not able to take him to the hospital." He felt terrible for saying that since he wanted to do nothing more than take care of his son.<br>"Let me try a few things to see if they work until you can get him to the doctors." If worse came to worse she would have Tamaki take René to the hospital and she would help him with the bill. She couldn't watch René get sicker and Tamaki on the verge of tears from not being able to help him.

Watching time pass and René still crying Tamaki couldn't take it anymore. Sara took his temperature again and he didn't like the like the look on her face as she saw the number.  
>"Sweetie he is running a fever. You have two options, we see if can lower it here and if not we take him to the hospital in the morning. Or, we take him now."<br>"What would you do?"  
>"Honestly, I would take him now. A fever for a child so young can be serious, especially for future development."<br>"I'll do that then. I could never forgive myself if I waited and he suffered from it." He could figure out how he could pay later. René needed help, everything else was unimportant.

Waiting at the hospital, watching René be hooked up to all sorts of things terrified him. He didn't like that Sara had left Sean and Michael home but he was eternally grateful for her coming with him. Squeezing her hands he wished he could call his father or more importantly Kyouya. He would know how to help him relax and make sure René was okay. He should know that his son was sick. He still could, they were only a phone call away. But, he didn't want to leave René alone right now.  
>"Would you like me to call someone, anyone for you?"<br>Shaking his head no he squeezed her hand tighter. He needed to be the one to do it. Once things settled down, once he knew something more he would. He had to be the one to tell them everything. He needed their help and for his sons' future he would face any consequences that came with it.

"Tamaki?" Seeing a doctor was looking over at him he quickly stood and went over to René.  
>"We have him on a fever reducer and antibiotics. We'll keep him monitored and see how it helps. A nurse will stop by in a few to set up payments with you."<br>"Umm hmm." He really didn't care about that right now. Now he wanted to stay by his son's side and make sure he knew he loved him so much and would do anything for him.  
>"Tamaki, I'm going to go check on the boys. I'll be right back okay."<br>Remembering Sara was here he turned to her for a second. "Thank you for everything. You don't have to stay though. I hate taking you from them."  
>"Nonsense. It's fine. I'll stay until morning. I'll be right back."<br>Nodding he sat beside René as carefully as he could, it was hard to hold him from the wires but he managed to find a way. René seemed to feel Tamaki's arms holding him as he tried his best to snuggle close to him.  
>"Mommy is right here René. I'm not going anywhere I promise you. Everything will be alright." Gently talking to him he found it comforting for both of them. When Sara came back a little later she saw him asleep holding his son.<p>

Tamaki stood in front of one of the hospital pay phones trying to get the courage to at least call his father. He figured Kyouya would step in but he still didn't want to risk him losing everything, losing his future to help him out. His father may not even help him though; he was a disgrace to the Suoh name for not only running away from home but having a kid before marriage, not even being an adult. Feeling his hands shaking he shoved the money in and dialed his old house number. Hearing it ring he couldn't decide if he wanted his father to pick up or for it to go to the answering machine.  
>"Yuzuru Suoh." At his father's voice his body froze. That was really his father at the other end.<br>"…f…fa…da…"  
>"Hello? Is someone there? Tamaki if that's you or you have my son say something so he can come home."<br>"…da…I'm sorry!" Slamming the phone down he stood trying to breathe again. He couldn't believe he got his father on the phone. He could have told him what he did, the situation he was in, beg for forgiveness and his help in at least paying for this bill for his grandson so he wouldn't have to suffer should money become as tight as he was expecting.  
>"Tamaki? Everything alright? Did you get through to your father?"<br>Hearing Sara he turned to her before crouching to his knees and dropping his head.  
>"What was I thinking? I can't talk to him. Sara, when I found out I was pregnant I ran away from home. My family wouldn't support me. I was a disgrace already to them. This, this was automatically a reason to disown me."<br>"He is your father. I'm sure he loves you and I bet he wants you to be safe."  
>"You don't get it. I can't go home. I'm better off dead to him. Save him from all the negative press. I am on my own now, no matter what happens I can't go back. Besides even if I did there is no guarantee I would be taken back."<br>"Tamaki…" She knew he came from a high class society but still they were family. It was heart breaking to hear. She couldn't imagine Sean ever doing that to Michael.  
>"What about René's father? I know you're doing fine on your own but I'm worried about you. You need to rest before you end up here too."<br>"He'll get in more trouble than I would. I couldn't live with myself if he lost everything because of me. He deserves a future."  
>"Tamaki, it takes two people to make a child. You getting pregnant was never solely your fault."<br>"I know but, telling him wouldn't help me. He would be disowned too and then what? We would be no better off, we would still be struggling to survive to raise our son."  
>Wiping away the few tears that fell he stood back up to go back to René. He may not know exactly how yet but they would get by. René would be fine and they would continue to survive.<p>

After nearly three days Tamaki was finally able to take René back home. His fever had dropped significantly and he seemed back to his normal playful self. He loved having him on his lap and watching his smile and try to reach for his face. Or if he placed him on the mat for a second to grab the TV remote or a glass of water he could hear him coo and make adorable noises. There was something he noticed too, he couldn't shut up; no matter what was going on he was always talking to René. He knew it was good for him and his growth but he thought he would get tired of listening. As long as he was happy though he was happy too. And talking was cheap, cheap was great.

He knew if they wanted to keep going though he would have to go back to work and since René was basically better he had to go.  
>"René! Welcome back cutie!" Sara happily let them both in so she could get René settled and Tamaki could head to work.<br>"He's been doing really well but please call if something comes up."  
>"Tamaki, how long have I been babysitting for you. Go. He'll be fine. Look at that happy face, someone is certainly feeling better." Saying good-bye to him he headed out, knowing he was doing better made him feel better about leaving but still, he was always most comfortable with René near him.<p>

He hadn't been too surprised when Sara invited them for Christmas. It would be nice to spend the day with them since he couldn't really do anything special for the day. It was a good thing René was so young and didn't understand the holiday; while he wanted his first Christmas to be special he couldn't afford to do anything right now. Sara wanted them all together for the day to make it special for everyone, including the boys. They all had a great day and he was beyond grateful to her for allowing them to join her family. The day after marked a year since he ran away from home and knowing that, he hadn't slept all that well in the days beforehand. He couldn't believe he had been in France for a full year already but if he made it through the first year he can make it through the next one. He could do this.

Tamaki needed to stop believing things were starting to settle, that he could have spare cash. Maybe not thousands or even hundreds of dollars but at least five bucks would be nice. At least enough to not have to worry about every cent the way he was now, nothing could be bought with seeing how it would affect him later. Seeing the hospital bill come in sweat poured from him. He was beyond screwed. Even making minimal payments he had to cut out something to start paying it. The problem was he had nothing he could cut out. Looked like he was moving again and cutting down on food. Two meals a day would have to do for now, René needed his essentials so nothing could be cut from that budget. Lunch wasn't really needed; he could save the money he spent on it at work and just wait until dinner. Hearing René start babbling in the bedroom he guessed it was time to stop stressing over their finances and spend time with his son who was up from his nap.  
>"Somehow René we'll do it, don't give up on me. I'm going to figure it all out I promise you." Picking him up they went into the living room to play and relax. He had to figure this out though and if he had to move then he had to find a place soon because he couldn't lose his son.<br>"I don't know what I'd do without you René you know that. You mean the world to me; you are the world to me. And if you continue to have faith in me I'm sure we can figure this all out.

After the New Year they got together at his place to hang out while Sean stayed late for work.  
>"You're moving!"<br>"Sorry Sara, I don't have a choice. If I don't then we'll starve so I can continue to pay René's hospital bill." They sat in his living room, the boys in front of them on the floor. René seemed to be enjoying watching Michael play.  
>"I can't believe you can't get any sort of coverage."<br>"It's because all my stuff is back in Japan. They got something when I applied for school but it wasn't enough."  
>"But you were born in France weren't you?"<br>"I was but when I moved all my documents were given to my father. Even if they were here though, I have no way to get them. I haven't spoken to my mother since I moved to Japan. I lost complete contact with her than too. I can't even find her if I wanted to. I know she is still in France but she moved and I have idea where to."  
>She remembered him telling her about that. He really did have it rough and she couldn't believe family could do that to each other. Tamaki shouldn't have to raise his son alone like this. He should have family supporting him, even if only for advice. If they weren't friends he would really have no one in his life.<br>"Well you do what you have to. I don't want you starving yourself to death. I'll still babysit for you."  
>"Thanks Sara. Can I ask you for your opinion? Should I, should I put René up for adoption?"<br>"What?" Looking over him she saw he didn't like the idea anymore than he did saying it. He looked on the verge of tears. She could tell he had been thinking about it a lot and struggled with himself to find an answer.  
>"I don't want to but maybe their right, maybe I can't do this."<br>"Who told you you can't?"  
>"Some people at the hospital, when they started going on about the bill. I was looking at the wrong bill when I wrote their check and they called. They went on and on about how they can give me names of places I can give him too. That he would be better off and could have a great life and,"<br>"Tamaki stop! You're doing fine. Don't listen to them they don't know what they are talking about."  
>"But he could do so much better. Sara, I don't know how I'm going to do it. There are things he'll need or needs and I have no idea how I'll pay for them, this stupid bill or not. Let's face it I'm in way over my head and René,"<br>"And René is doing fine. Look at him Tamaki, does he looked malnourished or abused or un-kept? No, you are taking amazing care of him. No matter what anyone tells you you know the truth and the truth is that he is fine. Putting him up, giving him away to someone else doesn't mean he'll grow up with more or he'll get more love."  
>"Oh Sara!" She pulled him close as he started to cry. This had really gotten to him, then again that would get to anyone. Poor kid, he had to deal with so much it was unfair.<p>

Settling back down he wiped his eyes and sat up. He felt better from crying though he felt bad for crying on Sara.  
>"I had been thinking, I have just enough for a ticket back to Japan. I almost did it too. I almost chose to pack up everything and take René and go to my father but before I did I got my head on straight. I would be turned away at the door. I couldn't show at his doorstep with a kid in my arms. I would be in the same situation there as I am here only people would know me and it would be harder for me. I need to stop thinking I can go back. There is no back, I'm here now and I will stay here with René. That is the only thing I can do. We are all we have." Seeing René was looking over at him he stood up to pick him up.<br>"Isn't that right René, it's just you and me." Watching his face light up and smile at him he smiled back. He knew it wasn't going to be easy for them but somehow they would be alright because he couldn't give René up. It was an easy out for him but he didn't want it easy, he wanted his son in his life. He wanted to raise his son no matter what he had to do to have that happen.  
>"I love you René, no matter what anyone else says." <p>

Tamaki walked into his new place with René. It was about the same size as his last place, maybe slightly smaller but the rent was much cheaper. He was worried but the place seemed in good shape and the landlord didn't seem shady. Thinking about it he probably should have asked Sara if she knew about the area but it wouldn't have made that much of a difference. It was the only place he could find that he could afford. And it wasn't too bad; he hadn't seen it on the news a lot or heard about it being known as a drug spot so they should be safe enough. The only real downside was that Sara was pretty far from here so they couldn't get together as often and he would have to leave pretty early to get René to her so he could get to work on time. It was a good thing he could get René ready at whatever time he needed. He wasn't too fussy about waking up when he was needed in the morning. He had to admit, René was a pretty awesome kid. Not that he expected him not to be but Sara gave him a heads up on what could happen, gave him all the sides he could experience. Luckily for him René didn't fuss too much unless something was wrong. Usually he could do whatever he wanted with him, to a certain degree of course and he was fine with it.  
>"What do you think René? Do you like it?" Hearing him start to get excited he took that as a yes as he put him down to get him out of his car seat. Not in the mood to unpack what was left he sat on the floor placing him between his legs and watched him bounce up and down while he held his hands.<br>"I can't believe your getting so big. Stop growing so fast will you."  
>Together they played on the floor until René got bored and wanted to eat.<p>

Moving, while helped him from being evicted later hadn't helped him as much as he would have liked when it came to finances. He could not wait until René's hospital bill was paid and on top of it he needed shots, he was beyond screwed. His paychecks were barely covering rent and items for René as it was. He couldn't remember the last time he actually spent money on food for himself. He ate simple and cheap soups most meals since that was all he could afford. Some days he just skipped eating all together to save money or when René needed something he couldn't go without and he couldn't afford both. At first he would get wicked headaches that made it hard to function but they seemed to lesson as his body became used to it.

Coming from work he stopped by Sara's to pick up René and take him home for the night. She kept telling him he didn't have to knock but he felt weird just walking into her place.  
>"Hey Tamaki come in, before you grab René sit for a second."<br>"Sure, is something wrong?"  
>"I need to talk to you."<br>"Did something happen? Is everyone alright?" Worried he sat on the couch having her sit beside him.  
>"It's you Tamaki. I am getting really worried about you."<br>"Me? Why? I am doing fine."  
>"I know you are but hun, are you eating, because you've lost a lot of weight. I know you shed some after René but you look really thin. You know that if you're ever short on change or something you can ask me for help. And you're always welcome to stay for dinner.<br>"Don't worry about me, really, I'm okay. I've always been this skinny, you met me while I was still pregnant so you didn't see me prior."  
>"Are you sure? So help me Tamaki if I find out you're lying I will tie you to a chair and shove food down your throat."<br>"I am fine really. At most, I skip lunch because I'm working and not hungry for it but then I go home and have a big dinner." He really hoped she was buying it, thankfully he wasn't just down the hall anymore otherwise she'd probably go check his cabinets. Which would show they were empty and had been for awhile now and he would be beyond screwed if she learned the truth. He knew his clothes were a little baggy on him but there was no way she could tell he hadn't been eating.

Finally getting home Tamaki laid across the loveseat with René on top of him playing on his chest. The only real drawback to skipping meals was the complete lack of energy, his body just couldn't adjust. All he ever wanted to do was sleep.  
>"Momma can't nap with you on me you know that René." Knowing he couldn't or wasn't going to answer him he watched René just stare at him while he kicked him every once in a while.<br>"Five months already. Before I know it you'll be a year old. Stop it already; I'm not ready for that yet." Yawning he picked him up to snuggle beside him on the loveseat.  
>"I know you napped at Aunt Sara's but momma's really tired so nap with me for a little while."<br>Making sure he was okay and safe in his arms he closed his eyes, he wouldn't sleep long, maybe just an hour or two.

Tamaki's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up realizing René wasn't in his arms anymore. He hadn't rolled over so how did he get of them?  
>"René! Oh God, René where are you?" On his feet he looked around the couch terrified by where he was.<br>"Oh thank God!" Seeing him on the side of the couch under the arm he was playing with a toy of his.  
>"What are you doing, you didn't like sleeping with me?"<br>Taking a breath he sat beside him on the floor to play with him for awhile. René seemed okay but how did he get over here, he wasn't crawling yet and could barely sit up without help. He would definitely have to keep a better eye on him it looked like so he didn't risk getting hurt next time. Not that there would be a next time of course.

Something had to change he knew that much for certain. Sara was constantly asking him about his weight and if he was eating. He couldn't tell her that he wasn't eating more than a meal a day, if he was lucky and when he did eat it was never much. And he knew he could stay for dinner when he went to pick up René but he hated being a bother to her and Sean. He didn't like her always trying to take care of him, it wasn't her job to, they were just friends.

Laying in bed he heard René crying for him, he had to get up and get to him. Now he just needed his body to follow through.  
>"Tamaki? Hey are you home?" Rolling to his side he saw Sara walking in to his bedroom. "Tamaki are you feeling okay?" Checking on René for a second she walked over to him in bed.<br>"What are you doing here Sara?"  
>"I got worried when you didn't show up this morning. I didn't remember you telling me you were off. I tried calling but you never picked up."<br>"Oh."  
>He closed his eyes as she pressed her hand against his forehead.<br>"You feel really hot, you probably have a fever."  
>"I need to get to work. I'm probably already really late." Sitting up he was pushed back down by her hand.<br>"You are not moving from this bed. Just stay here and rest. You're in no shape to work. I'll take care of René before you get him sick and I'll make you soup or something while trying to get you to cool down."  
>"I'm fine I swear." Forcing his body to stand his legs fought against him making him fall back. Sara heard and watched his head hit the wall as he landed back on the bed.<br>"You're absolutely right; I'm not sure what I was thinking. Now back to bed." Not hearing another word about her taking care of him she grabbed René to get him breakfast and went to call Sean.

Tamaki sat up as Sara brought him soup for lunch. He had skipped the breakfast she made for him but knew he couldn't get away from lunch as well. The smell was tightening his stomach, he was so hungry. Taking the bowl from her he inhaled the scent, it smelt fantastic and was homemade, he hadn't had homemade anything in so long. Bringing the spoon to his mouth he swallowed two spoonfuls before stopping as his stomach tightened even more.  
>"Feeling any better from sleeping?"<br>"Not really. Sara, thanks, for taking care of René. Who is watching Michael?"  
>"Sean has him. He was off today. You can thank him for my stopping by. When you didn't show up he saw how worried I was becoming and told me to come here."<br>"Please give him my thanks than." Pulling the bowl away he rolled to the side and out of bed to throw up in the garbage can. Keeping one hand on the floor his right hand clutched his stomach, it hurt so much.  
>"Tamaki!" Going to him she knelt beside him to hold his shoulders, this was new, he hadn't gotten sick all morning. Seeing him holding his stomach and clearly in pain she quickly put two and two together. Anger became second to worry as she knew what caused this. She couldn't do anything though, not with him throwing up. Moving away he sat back grabbing a tissue from the box off the nightstand he wiped his face.<br>"You have a son that needs you and you are beyond reckless!"  
>Dealing with the pain he still felt he tried to move away from what she was getting at. He knew he was in trouble with her and this whole thing could mean he was having major health problems. Crouching over him she looked into his eyes.<br>"Tamaki, talk to me, for the love of God, please. Have you been eating because this. If you're as bad as you look than I need to take you to the ER and they have to give you what you need by IV. If you can't get food down. You're starving yourself and if you don't, if food doesn't get into your body and stay there you'll die."  
>Seeing the worry, fear, and pain in her eyes he felt tears run to his eyes. He was scared of dying, of leaving his son. He didn't want things this way it was just how they happened. And if he went to the ER then who would watch René? And he couldn't afford another hospital bill; he would lose René for sure. Scared he started to cry. Wrapping her arms around him she let him cry on her shoulder.<br>"Ssshhh, ssshh, shh. You'll be okay. I'm going to help you and you'll be fine." Clutching her tighter he was scared to let her go, of what could come next.

Resting in bed he heard Sara talking to someone, he wasn't sure who and he didn't hear another voice talking back to her. Sitting up he noticed René wasn't in the room. Maybe that was who she was talking too.  
>"Hey, you're up, that's good." Carrying a light meal in Sara sat near his feet to give it to him. "I want you to try this. Perhaps you can keep this down."<br>Taking the tray from her he just stared down at it. "I'm really sorry Sara. Things were never supposed to go this far. I never imagined I could get this bad, I never intended for things to get so bad, but, this really got me thinking. I want to know if you'd become René's guardian should something happen to me. I know it's a lot to ask since you have Michael who is only a little older but you are all I have and he loves you and Sean. I know he would safe and taken care with you guys."  
>"Of course Tamaki, I would be honored to be his guardian but I know I'll never be needed. I'm going to get you well again. Now come on and try to eat. Let's do a little at a time." Helping him as best she could she had him take small bits and made sure he didn't try to eat too fast.<br>"Tamaki, I need to know, why did you lie to me about how tight money was for you? You could have stayed for dinner any time you liked so why did you continue to go hungry every night? From how your kitchen looks I get the impression this has gone on since before I first brought it up with you."  
>Swallowing and making sure his stomach didn't tighten he forced himself to open his mouth and talk to her.<br>"Because I didn't want you to feel like you had to. I feel bad enough that I can't pay you for babysitting I didn't want you feeding me too. Because I know you, the second you learned the truth I would come home to homemade frozen meals and stocked cabinets along with you having me stay for dinner at least twice a week. I don't want to feel like I'm using Sean's hard earned money. We aren't family, it's not right."  
>"Oh Tamaki." Placing her hand on his cheek she stared into his eyes. He was beyond exhausted, pushing himself harder than his body could handle and he was still barely surviving. What would it take for him to let her in? At the rate he was going he would run himself to the ground. She couldn't lose him too. Pulling her hand away she watched as he shifted to the garbage can to throw up.<p>

After being forcibly removed from his place Tamaki laid in a hospital bed and stared at the wires going into his arm. Sara had called paramedics on him the next morning once she noticed his fever spiked. He struggled as hard as he could to stay where he was, another bill would cost him everything. He couldn't lose René; he was all he had in this world. Trying his best to roll over he felt his eyes burning from crying for so long. He was scared and sick and just wanted to hold his son. He needed to know that he was alright, that he was being taken care of by Sara and that social services hadn't gotten a hold of him. He wanted to tell him that he loved him more than anything else in this world.  
>"Tamaki?"<br>Moving his head he saw Sean in the doorway.  
>"My apologies if you were trying to rest."<br>Sitting up he had him come in, he didn't expect this. While he was friendly with Sean he was much closer to Sara.  
>"Sara is with the boys; once the doctors give the okay she'll bring René in for you."<br>Nodding he had him come closer, he knew there had to be a reason Sean was here instead of Sara. He couldn't handle any more bad news.  
>"Mind if we talk, man to man? I know Sara gave you an earful but sometimes talking another guy helps you know."<br>"Sure." It could be nice to talk to another guy for once; he had never really done that since he moved here. Coming closer he stood beside the bed to make it easier for them.  
>"I know Sara goes a little overboard but she means well and she is scared she'll lose you just as she lost a few others she was close to. She hates talking about it but back in college a good friend of ours became pregnant. She faced complications and died during childbirth. Both mother and child would still be with us if she received the proper care during the pregnancy since it could have been detected and fixed before it got worse. She has also watched a few others lose their children to drugs when money got tight. Not saying you would ever go so low as drugs to deal with hardships but she couldn't handle losing you too. I thought you should know why she worries so much. Also, it was brought to my attention that you don't like staying because of me." He put a hand up to stop him from interjecting. "I'm telling you to stay when you need to. You're not spending my money; Sara makes enough food to feed an army. You and René are always welcome to my table."<br>"Thanks Sean. One day I'm going to make it up to you, to both of you."  
>"Just don't push yourself to do so. But, I understand why you do what you do, I would do the same if I was in your shoes. Becoming a parent your focus changes and I would do anything I had to continue to support my son. If that meant skipping meals and working seven days a week and two jobs to do so then I would do it. But try to remember that supporting your son also means always being there in his life and if you're killing yourself trying to make everything work out then something has to change. If you ever need to talk to someone who isn't my wife you have my number. Now I should go. You need rest. Oh, and don't worry about how long you spend here, you're bill is already paid in full. You should have told me you couldn't get coverage. I work for a bank that deals with insurances, I could have gotten you what you needed much sooner."<br>Feeling more tears come to his eyes he couldn't stop himself from crying. Only this time he was so happy.

A week and a half after he arrived he was allowed to see René. Both were happy to be near the other. Now that his fever had broken and his cold had ended all he had to do was get his weight up a little more. He didn't need the nutrients by IV anymore so he was allowed to try eating actual food again. Keeping it down made everyone happy, that meant they were on the right track and he shouldn't have to spend too much longer here. Holding René on his lap he hated letting him go at the end of the day. According to Sara he had been looking for him once he arrived and was hard to settle down for awhile but once he calmed down he was fine. As bad as he felt for her having to deal with that he was glad to hear René missed him as much as he missed him. He had to be doing something right for once. Watching him snuggle against his chest he saw him start to fall asleep. As tough as things were he knew the struggle was worth it, it would always be worth it so long as he got to hold his son.  
>"I love you René. I love you so much. I'll always love you, no matter what happens.<p>

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I started it months ago but I faced slight writers block and feel in love with the second Kuroshitsuji musical so much that I made a story that was much longer than I thought it would be. But that ended and before I start any more for it I want to get this going again and completed. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, it was much longer than I intended but I always wanted to make it up to you guys for waiting so long. Please review and see you all soon.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

It felt amazing to be home, restrictions and all. No one believed he had an eating disorder which was nice but they had questioned his money situation. Sara didn't tell him but he was smart enough to figure out they had examined René to make sure he wasn't underweight. Luckily he was at the perfect weight for someone his age and was up-to-date with all of his shots so they couldn't question it further. They had all been together when the staff pulled her and Sean away to question them separately which was how he learned of this whole thing. They wanted to know if they were the reason René was doing so well. Knowing most people didn't believe he could take care of his son really hurt. But it did only further prove that society already saw them as an unstable household and he would have to work even harder to keep René with him. To avoid a repeat trip to the hospital Sara wanted him to stay at least one night a week for dinner. After all her and Sean did for him he could follow her request. Settling down on the loveseat he brought René with him to sit on his lap. He noticed that since he could go into his hospital room he didn't like to be apart from him. Having René near wasn't too big a problem but tomorrow he had to go back to work and he could only hope he would be okay.  
>"Ba baa ba ba baa ba!"<br>He couldn't stop himself from laughing as René played around and tried to make some sort of speech.  
>"Having fun using my stomach as a drum René?"<br>He stopped for a second to look at him before going back to what he was doing. It wasn't like he was hurting him and he looked so cute. It was nice knowing that he was happy to just be with him and do as he pleased for fun.

Tamaki picked René up from Sara's to find him in a bad mood. No, not in a bad mood but he was incredible clingy and fuzzy. He had been going back to Sara's for awhile now so it wasn't as if he had separation anxiety from when he was in the hospital.  
>"What's the matter René? Did you miss me that much?"<br>"He's been like this since this afternoon. I believe he is teething. I hope your experience with it is better than mine was with Michael. He was so hard to comfort."  
>"Well then I guess we better get you home, hmm?"<br>After getting some tricks to help him feel better they left her place and headed home. Trying the towel trick René happily let him try it and it seemed to work for awhile. He got to prepare, cook, eat, and clean up from dinner before he got fuzzy again; looked like it was going to be a long night. Sitting on his bed he brought René with him and tried to get him comfortable so they could both sleep for a little while.  
>"Comfortable René? Sleep well. I know you hurt but it won't be forever." Holding him close he watched him snuggle up close beside him and fall back asleep. Knowing he was safe and comfortable he closed his eyes for the night as well.<p>

It took a good week and a half before he noticed René was feeling better. He could tell he was still sore but he was willing to eat solid foods so that was a good sign. He knew he had wanted to try to eat them for awhile now but he was hesitant since he had no teeth. Sara had told him certain things were fine but he still worried. It had been a bumpy past six months he didn't want that streak to continue. His little boy was certainly growing up and developing well which was a huge relief. That was all he truly wanted, for René to grow up healthy and happy. The road in front of them was already hard and he didn't want to make it harder on him. He had also worried knowing all the dumb things he did while he was still pregnant with him. Knowing his stupidity hadn't cost his son severely was a huge weight off his shoulders.

"Tamaki, Tamaki, come look, hurry!" Being quickly ushered in Sara's home she hurried to the living room making sure he was following. Moving past the recliner he saw René on his hands and knees reaching for a toy a few feet from him.  
>"Well look at that, René your amazing!" Hearing Tamaki's voice he stopped and looked for him. Finding him he sat back before pushing up and went towards him. He only made it a few steps before he fell but that didn't stop the pride from swirling inside Tamaki as he went to pick him up and not have him cry. Seeing that he was about to.<br>"I am so proud of you. You'll get it down soon no worries."  
>"He's ahead of Michael, not that much ahead, they'll probably start crawling around the same time."<br>"That's going to be interesting for you, I apologize in advance. I guess he is learning a good bit from being around Michael all the time."  
>"Or your brains were passed on."<br>"Smart, just like your daddy. He is super smart, mommy has such a struggle to try and surpass him." Stopping he realized what he was talking about. He was talking about Kyouya, that was something he hadn't done in a while.  
>"Sorry René, that was rude." He wasn't too crazy about talking about Kyouya to René. Even though he was still so young he didn't like to bring up the father he didn't know about due to his own decisions. He would face that question soon enough. With that excitement fading he took René home.<p>

It was nice to be watch René try to crawl when he placed him down to work on dinner. Didn't help much with actually getting it done but he wasn't in a rush to eat.  
>"You know René I don't mind if you start crawling at Aunt Sara's but you aren't allowed to start walking while I'm at work. That's my only rule for you." Seeing René stop to sit and play with the toy he grabbed he did a quick check on dinner and went over to him. He could tell he wanted to play alone as he didn't really acknowledge him when he walked over. Watching him play gave him as much enjoyment as playing with him. Seeing him happy always brought him enjoyment, he was young but that didn't mean he wouldn't understand how tough things were at times. Hearing the timer going off he pet the top of his head, his hair was so soft it was unbelievable, and got up.<br>"Hungry René?"  
>Watching him staring at him he took that as a yes and got him settled so they could eat. He was always sorry when he did it this way but then it was taken care of and they could spend the rest of the night together.<p>

Nice weather was always appreciated when it was raining as hard as it was it sucked. This was when he wished he lived closer to Sara. Watching it come down harder he ran into a building to avoid getting even wetter. He really didn't feel like getting drenched when he still had a long distance to go. And he had no idea how he was going to get René home without him getting soaked as well. He had a cover for the carrier to keep him dry but something told him that wouldn't do it all the way. Stepping out of the doorway he moved to the window to watch for when it slowed down. Looking around he noticed it this wasn't a clothing store as he thought it was. The inside was beautiful, reminded him of a hotel, some ritzy five star hotel. He should have toured the area sooner, he had no idea a place like this was close to his home. Well closer to it then the convenient stores were at least. They might even pay slightly better which would be nice.  
>"Excuse me young sir, may I help you somehow?"<br>"Hmmm? Oh no, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to wait for the rain to slow down. I hope I haven't disturbed your business."  
>"Well that is perfect for me then, do you have a minute that I may borrow?"<br>"Sure. My time is yours then."  
>"Are you looking for a job by any chance? We are hiring and at first glance I believe you would be perfect."<br>"A job? What type of job?"  
>"Nothing too complex you just have to entertain some guests for a few hours a night. And the pay is above standard you could easily make a few hundred a night."<br>"Night? Your offer sounds great but I have a seven month old at him and I can't work nights. It's only me and my babysitter can only do days as well."  
>"Mother dump the kid on you? Probably has a few kids from sleeping around. Hope you don't have to give her too much." He laughed at his own words before picking his original thought back up. "Well, we also have a daycare program that is right next door. Most of our clients don't really want kids around."<br>"The mother didn't, you know, yea. Can I think about this over the night and tell you tomorrow? I live around here so I'm in the area."  
>"That's even better then. I hope to hear back from you soon. I really think you'd do well here, you have a nice personality, nice face, a figure our clients want."<br>"Thank you. I really appreciate the offer." Seeing the rain had slowed he took his leave, he didn't like to keep Sara waiting knowing she had her own family to take care of.

Getting to Sara's place she knew right away that he was in a good mood and asked to know more. Tamaki deserved some happiness in his life after all the hardships he faced. He needed something good to happen for him.  
>"Sara, I had stopped somewhere for a minute to get out of the rain and I started talking to someone about my son. They thought I was his father and it got me thinking. Do most people think I'm his father?"<br>"It's possible, I mean some might make that jump right off the bat but it's rude to just assume that."  
>"What if I kept that title though, what if I had René call me father once he was older? Thinking about it this isn't the first time it's come up. This is just the first time someone actually said it to me and not to my back. But those that think the mother left me to raise my son alone treat me differently than those that know I'm his mother."<br>"God I hate this society. But I guess it is pretty common. Most treat the mother like trash for having a child so young but they don't disrespect the father. But your decision to have René treat you as his father or mother is really up to you."  
>"I'll have to think about it I guess, I want what's best for him, I want people to treat him well and not disrespect him when he is older. I know what's it's like to be shunned for your family not being the society standard and I don't want that for him."<br>"Then do what feels right to you. You're his mother and you know best."  
>"Thanks."<br>"Now, what's with this excited smile I see trying to escape?"  
>He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about the job offer completely knowing she would try to get him to keep René here over night instead of a day care. He did tell her though that he may have found a better job for the daytime and with any luck may be making a little more and help with some of the burden he was caring to try and support himself and René. She wished him the best of luck and hoped he didn't overwork him or try to juggle three jobs and his son but had him promise her that he would call the second he learned if he got it or not.<br>"I really want this to work out for you but please be careful that this isn't a scam or anything you'll regret later. I don't want to see you get hurt."  
>"I will promise, trust me I would never do anything morally wrong. I was raised better than that believe it or not."<br>"Oh I know, and if you make lots of money and move up in the world don't forget about us little people. Michael will miss his playmate."  
>"I could never forget you. René would never allow that. He loves his favorite Aunt and his best friend. He would be so upset with me if we didn't see each other." Lifting René's hand he had him wave good-bye for the night.<p>

He had to really think about this job offer. Sara had a point earlier; to make a couple hundred a night wasn't really all that common for someone his age and especially not someone who didn't finish high school. But, he could really use the money. Making that much he could quit one of the convenient stores. The thought alone made his body tingle. Having the extra money would do so much for him and René. He could get them both some new clothes because what they had was starting to show it's wear and René was always growing. That was it then, he would take the job, it couldn't be that bad could it. All he had to do was entertain some people; he did that back in Japan for the Host Club so he had the experience. No, this was perfect and would be a great thing for them.  
>"René things are finally looking up for us." Tucking him in better he watched him sleep with a giant smile on his face from the bright future that lay ahead of them. He could do this.<br>"We're going to be just fine René. See I told you, you just had to have faith in me. I would figure it all out."

The start of the next week Tamaki got René ready and they headed to his new job. He was excited to start working, excited to start a solid future for his son.  
>"Tamaki, welcome, I'm so glad you decided to join us. This must be your son, he is adorable. Patty here will bring him over to the daycare and if you follow me we'll get started." Handing René over he was weary of not knowing where he was going and who would be watching him but he didn't have a choice. He knew from the start that he couldn't keep him with him.<br>"I just need you to fill out some paperwork and then I need a test submitted. You can do it right here, only takes a minute or so and you can start working while I wait for the results."  
>"Oh…okay." As he filled out the forms he thought some of the questions were pretty odd but maybe they were standard when you made so much a day.<br>"Is there a dress code I should follow?"  
>"Whatever looks best on you, no suits. Less is better is a good motto to follow."<br>"What?" Looking up from the forms he felt this bad feeling he had get worse. What was he getting into? What had he dragged René to? Maybe he was just joking. Oh God please let him be joking."  
>"I need a blood sample, mandatory so we know your blood type should something happen. Nothing ever does but it's a new requirement by law. I also use it to drug test, make sure you're clean of all drugs and certain diseases. You'll be in contact with a lot of people and we don't need shit spreading that doesn't have to. I run a clean place of business, any traces of illegal substances is automatic removal."<br>"Yes sir. Not a problem. I have nothing to hide from, I'm clean of everything."  
>"Good, good. Just step into my office so we can do this. I am certified by the city to draw blood; my certificates are hanging always for proof."<br>Maybe he had just been joking before; the place seemed pretty legit now.

Stepping out of the office he was led upstairs to an empty room. Well almost empty except for a bed and a small coffee table. As everything fell into place he soon realized what this place was, what he had been hired to do. Oh God, he couldn't do this, this wasn't him at all. Going to turn and tell his boss he couldn't do this he stopped. If he didn't take this job René would suffer. He had to do this for the money, for his son.  
>"Go ahead and get settled, your first client should be up shortly. I've been talking about you to some of our regulars and they are very excited to meet you. Don't disappoint them."<br>Being left alone he barely made it to the bed before his legs gave out. What was he going to do he couldn't do this, whatever this was exactly. His gut was telling him this was wrong, yet, he could really use the money. And if it was this or starve he would do this. He had already nearly starved himself to death. And who knows maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he was making it sound.

That night he laid in bed he was in after he was done for the day and couldn't move. The tears he had held back all evening were finally released. He was beyond ashamed of himself. How could he do that? How could he sell himself? He wasn't that type of person, he wasn't raised that way. He had ruined any chance of becoming something now, of finding love, of raising his son. He couldn't touch his son anymore. How could he when he was filthy with the sins of his actions. He made the worse decision of his life and now there was no going back. He would be a whore for the rest of his life. This would always come up now whenever he tried to move ahead in life. Well at least he could stop dreaming of ever going back to Japan. He would never be taken back into the family even if they ever forgave him for having René. He had ruined his name, his future, his life, his everything. And René, how could he look his sweet boy in the eyes after what he did? How could he touch him, hold him, love him, care for him, raise him when he himself sank so low as to do what he did? He was ashamed of himself for what he reduced himself to, and all of what, a couple of bucks? When did he become that person that had sex for money? He was raised on doing it for love and love only never money. What had he done?

Everything was a blur after his total breakdown. He wasn't even sure how he got René home. He didn't remember how he even got home. He didn't remember if he had even called Sara to come over or if she showed up on her own. All he did know was that he had his head under his pillow and he tried to block out René wanting him. He couldn't go to him; he didn't want to dirty his son with the filth all over his body.  
>"Tamaki, Tamaki talk to me. What's gotten into you? Why is René crying? Why won't you go to him? Are you sick again? Come on say something." Pulling the pillow away from his face she watched as he got as far away from her as he could while staying on the bed. She could see this pain and hollowness inside of him through his eyes. Something must have happened to cause this. He would never leave René crying like this, he had never called her so distraught before. Had he been attacked last night? But, she would have guessed he would hold René and never let him go then. Perhaps he had been found by his father and things didn't go well. That could be the cause of this, the feeling of rejection was never a good one especially when it came from family. But again that wouldn't explain why he was avoiding René.<br>"What's wrong, please talk to me." Trying to have him sit up she watched as he bolted away from her hands before they got too close. Was he cowering from her?  
>"Don't touch me!"<br>"Okay. Look hands are moving away from you. You're alright Tamaki. Everything is okay now. Come talk to me. Go see your son. Do something to let me know you hear me."  
>"No! I… I can't touch René. I can never touch him again!" She had picked René up to bring him to Tamaki only to stop at his words. Why would he say something like that? Shielding René from what she heard she brought him to the kitchen to take care of him and settle him down. She could tell he had been crying for Tamaki for some time now, she heard him in the background when Tamaki called her. Once he was taken care of she went back into Tamaki's bedroom and took his favorite stuffed bear out of his crib to give to him to play with while she tried to help his mother.<br>"Don't have him come near me." Again she shielded René from the words as best as she could before she placed him on the floor with his bear to keep an eye on him while she tried to figure out Tamaki.  
>"What happened Tamaki? Why won't you touch your son he wants you."<br>"I can't, I just can't. Not anymore. Not after what I've done. I'm dirty, filthy, a sin. I can't touch him with these dirty hands of mine."  
>She had noticed he moved to the top of the bed to bunch himself up tighter.<br>"What are you talking about, no you're not. And whoever told you otherwise is lying."  
>"It's true. Just go please, take my son before I ruin him too and leave me."<br>"No. Now you listen to me. You love your son, you are a good person and whatever happened is not your fault."  
>"Yes it is! I allowed it to happen!" He didn't want to tell her what he did. She would hate him as she should but she may take it out on René as well, he didn't deserve that.<br>"What happened Tamaki talk to me!"  
>"I'm disgusting and dirty and!" He stopped as Sara slapped him across the face.<br>"You are none of those things no matter what happened, your fault or not now tell me what happened!"  
>"Please don't leave me Sara." Holding himself tighter he felt more tears fall instead of trying to get them to slow down like he wanted. "I really messed up last night and did something I and can never go back from. And I can't just quit because this is what I am now and I have nothing left anymore."<br>"I won't do anything to you Tamaki. I'm your friend, I want to help you. What did you do?"  
>"I sold myself Sara. I started working at a house last night and that's all I did all night long. I did it from seven pm to two am. All for a couple of bucks. I can't…I can't even stand myself. I did it for René; to be better off for him but the whole time I… what have I done Sara? I've ruined everything." Crying in his knees he couldn't face her anymore. Staying true to her word she moved closer and wrapped her around him. Even as he fought against her she held him. Proved to him that his actions would do no harm to her or anyone around him.<br>"You'll be okay Tamaki, everything will be okay, I promise. Please don't cry."

After a moment his arms let go of his legs and wrapped around her. Both as a way of saying thank you and when he was ready he sat up and dried his eyes.  
>"You okay now?"<br>"For now I think."  
>"Tell me, how did you start working for a place like that? And what did you do with René for the night?"<br>"It was an accident, I was avoiding the storm the other day and I ran into this building I was near to try and stay dry while it slowed down. The owner saw me and liked what he saw. He told me I had everything he looked for and all I had to do was entertain some guests. I thought he meant something else and not what I did. I took the job not knowing the truth. Had I known I wouldn't have given it a second thought about saying yes. Had I known. And René, he came with me."  
>"He went with you?"<br>"I didn't know please remember that and the place has a daycare so he stayed there. I would never allow him to witness what I did. Though I probably would have kept my head on and not allowed myself to stay."  
>"You should have told me about this sooner. What will you do now? Have you told them you're not going back?"<br>"No, Sara, the reason I took the job was for the money and as much as I hate myself we could really use the money. I've already accepted the fate these actions have brought me."  
>"Tamaki, don't think your life is over, that you can no longer amount to anything."<br>"But I won't, I can't. I'm a high school dropout, with a son trying to make ends meet and now I won't even be able to find love because no one will want me after what I've done. Not that I would have even searched for it but now that opportunity is shot."  
>"Please be careful then. Believe it or not I care about you and I want to make sure you stay safe."<br>"I will, the owner has pretty high standards for all clients and employees."

Both stopped talking as they saw René trying to crawl over to them. Sara picked him up and watched as Tamaki tensed.  
>"Someone wants you Tamaki."<br>"But, I…"  
>"Everything will be fine. Look at his face, he still loves you, he'll always love you no matter what you've done."<br>Hesitantly he lifted his arms to have René placed in them. Seeing his face light up and him place his little hands on his chest to snuggle closer he realized that maybe Sara was right. Though, he still felt dirty.  
>"I love you René. I am so sorry I wouldn't go to you earlier. I wasn't feeling like myself this morning."<p>

It wasn't easier the longer he went to work. He couldn't even look at himself but the money did help quite a lot. He knew it was dirty money but dirty money or not it bought René what he needed to learn, grow and be comfortable in clothes that fit. After the first month he was given a cell phone for clients to use to contact him for a "private meeting." It was a great way to make a little extra and it was usually during the day so René could go over to Sara's for a couple of hours. She believed he was doing something else during that time know she really wanted him to quit. The only thing that got him up in the morning was René, seeing his beautiful smile and the love he still held for him. But, he figured that wouldn't even last once René was old enough to understand what he did for a living. But what else did you do when you screwed up so badly you could never go back?

Tamaki sat on the floor playing peek-a-boo with René who was having a blast when there was a knock at his door. He knew no client was ever given their home address or number but he worried about it every time he had a visitor.  
>"Stay right here René, Daddy will be right back." Standing he kept looking back at René as he got to the door. Seeing it was Sara and Michael he exhaled and let them in.<br>"Sorry for just dropping by but we were bored at home and Michael missed his buddy."  
>"That's fine. I was thinking about calling you."<br>Feeling a tugging at his pants he looked down to see René had followed him.  
>"René I told you I would be right back. Daddy doesn't like when you're so close to the door." Picking him up he watched as he opened and closed his hand for Sara and Michael. He had such a smart son.<br>"Hello there René. I'm glad to see you too." She still couldn't believe Tamaki had decided to have René call him father as he got older. She could understand his logic knowing that telling others the mother left him with their son had helped him with some things it still pained her to hear. Though, thinking about it maybe it didn't really matter what René called him, the truth was still the same. René was still his child and they still lived as a single parent and child. Having them come in they all sat in the living room, the boys played in front of them while they watched and talked. Tamaki couldn't believe Michael just celebrated his first birthday the other week meaning in a few months René would be celebrating his. How time was flying by.

0o0o0o0o0o  
>I've already started the next chapter so I plan to work on it this week and after the 8th of June I have no more school or work so I plan to do a lot more writing. Thanks for sticking by me and hope your enjoying it. Please review.<br>~Femalefighter~ 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

"Ugh René I really don't have time for this. We have to go." Tamaki came out of his bedroom hitting himself for leaving the door open. René was crawling now and was always on the move. It took ten minutes to get him into the room before he could change for work.  
>"Gotcha! Now I'm not letting you go." René struggled against him to get free, only he wasn't winning this battle. Looking around the area he saw his old bear that he gave René months ago. He loved that bear, maybe…<br>"Hey René look what Daddy has." Picking it up he handed it over to see him settle down and hold it close. "Good now? Good let's go. I have to get to work."

He still wasn't crazy about leaving René at the daycare but he became sort of friendly with the ones that ran it and watched the kids so he felt a little better. Plus, he learned that none of the employees that worked here worked at the house so none of the clients could go there looking for someone. Promising René he would be back later as he always did he went up the long stairs and into the room he hated, his living hell. The room was dirty and stained just like he was. Throwing off his shoes he kept them in the corner and avoided the bed for as long as he could. He would spend enough time on it as it was. God, how he hated this whole place and the people in it, including himself and what he was. He never would have guessed this would be his life two years ago. Two years ago he was just starting to date Kyouya. They had decided to get together as more than friends. Soon after they shared their first kiss and about a month or so later they decided to give each other themselves completely. It had been a decision neither took lightly, one, for their raised values and the other for knowing the ones values. The night had been just a normal one. Tamaki invited Kyouya over for dinner and just a standard dinner, nothing over the top or different from what they were used to. After they had gone up to Tamaki's room to do homework only homework was usually just a code word to get past suspicions of the housekeepers. Not that they ever questioned them getting together so much but it helped avoid such rumors. Once upstairs they sat on Tamaki's bed to talk before the kissing began which turned into making out. As the passion for the other grew and couldn't be quenched with kisses they stopped for a moment to decide if going all the way was what they wanted, if they were ready. Making that choice, giving their love completely over to the other had been the greatest choice they had ever made, well it was tied with starting to date. That's what he dreamt about every time he was under, over, behind, below, someone. He envisioned he was with Kyouya to make the truth easier. Though once the allotted time was up the dream would end and he would be surrounded by the hell that was his life.

"Hey are you going to do something or do I have to do everything?" Snapping from his thoughts of better times he saw the client he was with getting pissed with his lack of interest. This one was a girl, it wasn't that big a deal, he got both males and females each night and each gender had separate roles of protocol he had to follow, any infraction could bring him termination. And not that the idea of being fired was a bad thing but this was all he had now. He quit both stores not needing the money and to free up more time for private client calls. That was where the real money was. He didn't have to give it to the owner, he was able to lie about what services were given and keep more. The clients never told anyone what really took place on a private call it was just noted as a basic charge once it showed up as an accepted call. Plus, tips were pretty nice too. Most tips were used as a promise for another call in the near future.

Not wanting to think about it anymore once the night was over he picked up René and headed home. He really just wanted to shower and go to bed. He had showered so he could pick his son up but he wanted plenty of hot water and soap brushes that scrubbed so hard it hurt. It didn't help remove the stains that covered him completely but it removed some of them, enough to be a parent to his son. He was a good parent to René. It didn't matter what the public thought, Sara was right, he knew the truth. He did fear the government more though if they found out where his main source of income came from. It wasn't illegal what he did but it was definitely frowned upon. No one he knew openly and happily talked about what they did. Even if it was only frowned upon he figured social services would jump at the chance to take René from him. It seemed all teenage parents went through the same crap though, that made him feel a little better at least. Glad to know it wasn't just him he breathed a little easier. The only thing he worried a little less over was social services actually finding him; a few co-workers had showed him how to stay hidden. And so long as he paid his bills and taxes they couldn't do a thing, they didn't even have to know a Tamaki Suoh lived in the city. And he wasn't listed in the phone book, one for work security reasons and two so he could be harder to find by social services. Climbing into bed for the time being he passed out. He only slept until René woke up in the morning since he slept through the night at the daycare. His dreams were always sad and depressing anyway making him glad he woke up when he did. His dreams were filled of Kyouya and the love lost by leaving and his current actions. He used to dream about what life would have been like if the three of them were a family. Those dreams were always pleasant but now when they happened he woke up feeling miserable, some mornings he woke up crying.

Hearing René making noise he woke up to see him up and watching him while he played with the bear he slept with.  
>"Morning René, you're awfully quiet. Want some breakfast?" Getting up he took him out of his crib and brought him into the kitchen so they could eat. He woke up out of alarm thinking he overslept or never heard René but he wasn't crying for him which was odd. He fed and got René ready for the day before he got himself together so it would be easier and for some reason he wanted to keep an eye on him. He couldn't shake this odd feeling and it was making him slightly nuts. Getting out of the shower he took René out of the playpen so he could roam a little more, though he couldn't leave the bedroom until he was dressed.<br>"René what do you say we call Aunt Sara and see if her and Michael are up for a day in the park, hmm?" Sitting on the bed he watched as he tried to stand only to have his legs wobble and cause him to fall. His son was getting so big; he wouldn't be surprised if he started walking by his first birthday. Sara gave him the heads up to expect him to start saying "Dadda" soon and knowing what it meant, though he wasn't saying anything yet. He was a little worried since it was still all babble but the doctor told him not to worry he was on the right track. He could tell René knew what certain things were he just wasn't saying the words so maybe it wasn't all bad. Once he did start speaking and if he didn't have a learning disability he would teach him French and Japanese. He was going to stick with just French but he really wanted him to know both, the exact reason why he was still unsure of but it just felt right.

Calling Sara he met her at the park so the boys could play and they could talk. He found this to be the only plus side to working nights; he could spend time doing what normal parents did. He liked taking René out to play and meeting others and talking to Sara in general. When he worked days he could never do this.  
>"Look at René, he'll probably learn to walk in no time."<br>"I know, it's scary to think he'll be turning one in about eight weeks."  
>"Still hasn't spoken?"<br>"No not yet but I'm really hoping it will be soon. Just so I can rest easier knowing his development is fine."  
>"I'm sure everything is fine. Maybe you confused him by making him think you were his father?"<br>"Maybe, I didn't think of that."  
>"Well I wouldn't lose sleep over it; he seems to be doing well in everything else. How are you by the way? You know I really worry about you."<br>"I'm okay. I've been eating and pretty sure I gained weight back from it. Work, is well, work and nothing changed from it. Well other than having a little extra money anyway." Seeing Sara raise her eye at him he looked at her, what was that for?  
>"What? It's the truth, all the employees were tested just the other week and everything came back fine."<br>She just shook her head and didn't say anything else about it. He knew she didn't approve but her saying nothing with thoughts clearly on her mind bothered him. They both stopped as they heard René start crying. Tamaki jumped up to go to him and make sure he was okay. Seemed he fell from trying to stand again, at least he was okay.

Bringing René back over with him he watched him stop crying while he snuggled close to him. He jumped when Sara slapped his shoulder out of obvious irritation towards him.  
>"What?"<br>"You're a jerk."  
>"Okay?"<br>"When were you going to mention your birthday was this past April?"  
>"Ummm, sorry?" Thinking back he had tried not to think about it. Money had been so tight he couldn't even do a private celebration for it and he didn't want Sara to feel like she had to do anything for him.<br>"How did you find this out?"  
>"Sean found out when he received the paperwork for your insurance. You turned eighteen this year and you didn't even mention it. How could you?"<br>"I'm sorry it was just, things were really bad for me and I didn't think about it. And my birthday happened when I was hospitalized, so…"  
>"Happy Birthday."<br>"Exactly."  
>She wrapped his arms around him and gave him a giant hug. She didn't mean to get upset. That time had been really rough on him and he nearly died from starvation, more important things were on his mind at the time.<br>"Next year I'm throwing you a party."  
>"Okay, sounds nice, thank you."<br>Letting go she sat up and went to get Michael. "Speaking of food how about some lunch?"  
>"Sounds good. And I know of a really good café not too far from here. I really need to see the owner, I owe her a lot."<br>"Sure."  
>The four of them left the park and Sara followed Tamaki to the café, now that he had the money he hoped to pay Amelle back for all she had done for him. Not to mention he hadn't tasted her cooking since right after René was born.<p>

He was a little nervous; it had been so long since he had seen her last.  
>"Hello welcome sit wherever, I'll be right with you" Hearing her from the back they stepped in further.<br>"Take your time, no worries ma'am."  
>"Tamaki? Is that you?" Coming from the kitchen she saw him and René. "How have you been sweetie? It's been so long. Forgive me I've forgotten your son's name, how terrible of me. But look at how big he has gotten." Ushering the four of them to a table she helped get the boys settled and refreshments brought out for everyone.<br>"No worries ma'am, this is René and yes he is going to be one in two months. Also this is Sara and her son Michael."  
>"René of course, simply adorable. And of course I remember Sara and Michael. I hope you both are well, and you're husband as well."<br>"We are doing well thank you. Sean apologizes for not stopping by more."  
>"Nonsense he is a busy man and has a family to take care of."<br>Tamaki looked at them clearly missing something. He had no idea Sara was close to Amelle."  
>"Oh Tamaki, Sean's parents were close to her and her family. She is like a second mother to him.<br>"Such a small world. I am so glad you two became friends. Now before we all catch up what can I get for everyone?"

It was great to catch up with Amelle and to hear she was doing well. And it felt nice to actually pay for a meal for once though she refused to take money for the free food she gave him when he first arrived in the country. He felt he owed her a lot, the help she gave him to find a place helped get the credit he needed to allow him to move as many times as he had and not end up in the streets. René was having fun playing with her as she played with him and Michael which made him happy. Not that she had to but it only further showed her big heart.  
>"Look at that beautiful smile, someone takes after their mother." Tamaki smiled at the compliment before explaining his idea and why he, not thinking, gave the look he did. That was something else he loved about her, she didn't judge. She just told him to trust his heart and do what he had to. Hearing that made him relax a little more over his decision. He knew it didn't matter what other people thought about his choices but having his friends support was nice to have.<p>

Seeing it was getting busier they left soon after they finished eating. It was nice seeing her and all but they didn't want to keep her from her customers. Seeing the boys getting sleepy they went their separate ways for the day, so Tamaki could rest before he went to work.  
>"We have to do this again and soon."<br>"Will do, promise."  
>"Good, take care of yourself Tamaki. Please be careful."<br>"I will and I always am. See you soon." Hugging he felt her almost worried to let him go. He knew she didn't approve of his job but he had no idea she worried so much. If only there was another way, a way to make the money he was making now and do honest work. But, there wasn't and even if there was it was too late to try for it now. No one would hire him now after this job. If anyone did and the truth got out it would ruin their reputation for hiring a whore. Others could also get the impression that he was hired for entertainment inside the work; that would be horrible even if it wasn't true. He would never be allowed to work anywhere after that. Taking off he brought René back home so they both could nap for the afternoon and relax before he headed out. It was really nice to not have any private clients today allowing him to spend the day with friends. Even working nights he felt he still didn't have any free days. He always felt like he was with clients whenever he had some down time. He got all the household needs taken care of but he felt almost like he was spending less time with René when technically this should have given him more.

Tucking René in he watched him shut his eyes and drift off to sleep before climbing into his own bed and falling asleep for awhile. As his mind fell into unconsciousness he saw Kyouya pop into his mind. They were together, with René, and they were planning a big event. It was their wedding, a beautiful, family and close friends affair in the middle of the summer. Kyouya sat in the living room of what he could only assume was their house, with René on his lap. They were going over smaller details and what they wanted René to wear exactly. Tamaki couldn't help but smile as Kyouya talked to René about different designs, seeing their sons face and how amazing Kyouya was with him he knew he would make a great father. He may not seem like a family man to most but those that truly knew him saw his big loveable heart.  
>"Hey Tamaki I think he found one he liked."<br>Watching René reach for the book Kyouya was holding they both saw him it showing a suit they could get for him.  
>"I love it René, you have such amazing taste in clothes."<br>"Well he is your son after all. Isn't that right René? You're your mom's son for sure. My looks and brains, his sense of caring in clothing. I'm sorry."  
>"Hey! I am smart too, he got your looks, my brains and my charm. Be grateful he didn't turn out like you, poor kid would be scarred for life."<br>"Oh someone is getting mean now."  
>The back and forth continued until René started to get antsy and was tired of being left out, it seemed though he was the main topic of the conversation they had forgotten he was right there.<p>

Slowly the dream began to fade and Tamaki found himself back in France in his room. At least his face wasn't wet from crying for once, that was a plus. He still couldn't stay in bed feeling that he could start. Getting up he went to René, he found watching him sleep so comforting. It made the dreams seem less sad and depressing. Well usually though now he felt his eyes start to tear up.  
>"I'm sorry René for taking you away from your father. I really am. I just love you both so much and I want you to have futures. And you especially René. I want you to have a life all your own. Something your father and I never got; something I only got once I moved here." God he looked so much like Kyouya it always broke his heart that they would never meet, especially now. Seeing René wake up he made sure he wasn't crying and smiled down at him.<br>"Hey René, did I wake you? I'm sorry I didn't mean to. But, it's good that you're up; don't want you up all night now." Lifting him up he brought him into the living room to wake up all the way before he fed him dinner. Bouncing him gently on his knee he watched René start to smile and laugh making Tamaki smile and laugh, oh how he loved his son.  
>"Can you say dada? Can you try it René?" René just laughed harder not giving Tamaki what he was looking for.<br>"Can you say something René?"  
>"Ba ba ba babba ba."<br>"You're so close I know you can do it." Still no matter how much he encouraged him too all he got was the standard "ba" sounds. He really couldn't wait until he said his first words, whatever it happened to be.

Heading off to work he noticed René was still wide awake which was rare for him. Hopefully he wouldn't be a handful to whoever was watching him tonight. Dropping him off he went to his room, the same one he was in every night, the one he dreaded, the one he found to be completely dirty. The only good thing was that the sooner he walked into it the sooner he got to leave. And, that was what he really looked forward to, leaving. Hearing a knock he saw the door open and his first client for the night enter. It was a regular, he came at least once a week and had asked for private sessions as well. He scared him at times since he could be rough and not even in the standard sense; a few times he ended up with bruises on his wrists from where he grabbed him. He had gone to his boss but so long as he didn't physically abuse or threaten him there was nothing that could be done. Being pushed forcefully on the bed he felt his body start to sweat over what was coming next. Something told him he would have bruises again as he could smell the alcohol on his breath. Thank god René was safe and would never have to witness something like this.

Leaving for the night he was grateful he didn't hurt yet, though that didn't mean he wouldn't feel it in the morning. At least he could bring René home without a problem, the last thing he needed was to drop him. Walking into the daycare he saw him fast asleep holding his bear. Seeing him peaceful always made him smile. Carefully picking him up he saw his eyes slowly start to open.  
>"Sorry René, go back to sleep. Daddy is taking us home."<br>"Dada…."  
>His face lit up like a Christmas tree and he tried not to get excited that he wouldn't sleep once they got home.<br>"That's right René I'm your dada and I am so proud of you."  
>"…Dada…" Snuggling against his chest René closed his eyes as Tamaki started heading home. He had the best son ever, not only was he adorable but he was so smart and the love that poured from him was immeasurable.<p>

Tamaki took off for René's birthday since he could to afford to. It was nice having a day off for a change and being able to celebrate his sons first birthday made it ten times better. It was nice having Sara, Sean, and Michael over to celebrate and he had gone to Mirabelle and Denis's bakery to see about a cake and to apologize for not stopping by to see them sooner. He wasn't the least bit surprised to see the amazing cake they made. He had hoped for something simple since René was really too young to understand that it was his birthday but they went all out. "Happy 1st Birthday René" was written in different colors along with gel balloons decorating the top and gel 1's all along the sides, plus the cake itself was amazing as always and a spray of colors. René seemed to love it as he dug his fingers into it as he ate it.  
>"You are lucky I love you so much, look at you. Was it good though, what you got in your mouth anyway?"<br>"Dada!" Waving his arms he wanted to be picked up. Wiping his down the best he could he picked him up knowing he had to give René what he wanted today, but with a son so cute how could he say no birthday or not.  
>"Someone seems to be having a great birthday aren't they?" Sara laughed as she took René hand seeing him so happy. Tamaki loved seeing René so happy, his son's happiness was all he ever wanted and needed. All of this was just secondary and knew René would probably be just as happy without everything but it was a nice bonus for him.<p>

Tamaki paced back and forth between his bedroom and living room trying not to panic. He needed to talk to Sara but it was much too early. He desperately needed her advice right now, he needed a miracle too but advice was probably as close as he was going to get to something right now. And one was better than nothing. He knew he screwed up and was in more than just trouble if his speculation was really the truth, why did it have to be too early to call Sara?  
>"René, I…I don't know what to do. What if…? Oh God, what will I…? What did I do?"<p>

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So I'm out of school! And I hope to do a lot of updates but with my roomie that doesn't know how to shut up and leave me be I can only work on this during the day I feel. I'm sorry but bear with me. Please review and leave thoughts.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Tamaki opened the door to see Sara there, thank god! He called her at nine once knowing she would be up and he really needed her. It had been rough waiting for it to be a decent hour, not being able to sleep hadn't helped him but he couldn't. He couldn't sit still, all he did was pace and cry. He did a lot of crying and he still wasn't sure if he had the worse news yet.  
>"Tamaki, what's the matter, is everyone alright?" Watching Tamaki pace with obvious worry across his face she tried to figure out what was wrong. It wasn't René, he was staring at Tamaki holding his bear and another toy, and Tamaki looked fine, panicked but fine.<br>"Tamaki talk to me, what's going on?"  
>Sitting on the loveseat he pulled Sara beside him.<br>"I'm scared Sara, I messed up big time and…and I don't know how to fix it."  
>"What did you do? Did someone find you? Did someone show up here?" She asked the first one thing of his family back in Japan, the second she thought about his job. She knew of the security measures his employer had in place but of that didn't mean they couldn't be breached, that someone couldn't follow him home. "Did social services contact you?"<br>He just shook his head no and she watched as he tried not to cry. The dam was going to burst open soon though she could see that much.  
>"This is much worse than all of that."<br>Had he gotten sick then? He always told her they were checked but that could have been a lie. He was with so many people, catching something wouldn't be that far out there in possibilities. Still that didn't seem right to her, unless.  
>"Tamaki, you don't think your?" Watching the dam break she knew was right before she finished her thought. Pulling him close she let him cry. He was trembling in her arms; he was terrified for so many reasons.<p>

Moving his head slightly he tried to sit up and dry his eyes.  
>"What am I going to do Sara? If I am pregnant again…I can't raise another baby. I can barely support René and myself. And, and I don't know who the father would be. Oh god, what have I done?"<br>Having him look at her she promised to help him through this. No matter what he decided to do she would make sure he wasn't alone, no one should have to be.  
>"I was so stupid. You warned me to be careful, that this could happen. I was so greedy for the money though that I didn't listen. I blew off your warnings and now look what I caused."<br>"Do you know for sure that you are? You would hate to worry this much over a false alarm. Though, I really think you should quit. I will help you find other work, or Sean can help you. I'm sure he can get you something."  
>"I don't know yet. I'm not sure what to do, how to find out. With René I found out when a doctor did blood work. And I know it's a lot to ask of you but however I go find out will come with me? I don't want to wait alone, I'm scared I'll lose what little sanity I have left."<br>"Of course I'll go with you. And I know of a place that can tell. They are really nice and will help you if you need it.  
>"Thanks Sara. This really means a lot to me."<br>Taking his hands she gave his a squeeze. "Everything will be alright I promise."  
>He really hoped so, oh how he was living off those words right now.<p>

Sara went back home so René could play with Michael while Tamaki tried to get some much needed answers. He felt bad that Sean had to watch the boys but he kept saying he didn't mind. He knew Sara only told Michael enough to know she would be back later and would be safe but he didn't think she told him everything. Together they walked to a quiet little area in the city, not too far from where he used to live when he first moved to France. It had been so long since he was here. The area was a lot nicer looking too which was a nice bonus, he had lived where he was now long enough to forget how beautiful the rest of the city was, what a shame. If he could afford it he would move back so René could grow up seeing it's beauty as well.  
>"Tamaki it's right here. You okay?" Sara noticed he was lost in his thoughts; this whole thing was probably making him insane. Hopefully they would help him relax; poor boy would have a heart attack before he turned twenty-one at this rate. She knew a lot of his problems were caused by things he had done but knowing he was just trying to get by and raise his son she couldn't yell at him or tell him "I told you so."<br>"Deep breaths Tamaki, everything will be okay, everything will work out, remember."  
>"You're right. Deep breaths."<br>Walking in he went up to the reception desk to see what he had to do, what had to be filled out. With some paperwork to go over and complete he went over to Sara to sit with her. At least none of these forms were nothing new to him. Handing them in he sat back down to wait to be seen.  
>"Sara, can I ask for your opinion?" Keeping his focus on his clasped hands he tried to summon the courage to ask what had been bugging him for some time now. "If it turns out that I am pregnant again, would they hate me for giving them away? I would do an open adoption so they know me but do you think they could still love me knowing I put them up while keeping and raising René? Or do you think they would just hate me for it?"<br>"I can't answer that but I believe they would be grateful you did what you believed was best. Knowing you love them and didn't want to go without things you knew you couldn't provide means a lot to a child."  
>"Still, to do that to them. I knew I couldn't raise another baby yet I did things that chanced me conceiving again. I really am nothing more than a statistic. Moments like this make me wish I had other options, other than having a baby just to give them up."<br>"Like I've been saying, don't start thinking about what you have to do until you know for sure. Worrying won't do anything for you. But, Tamaki, you know there is another option right?"  
>Hearing her question his head snapped up to look at her until his mind registered what she said.<br>"That isn't an option, never has been and never will be. I could never harm the child that was born to my mistakes. I mean I would consider it if there was something wrong and they were suffering but other than that."  
>"I understand what you're saying trust me. I was making sure you were aware of it that's all. Also if it turns out you are the doctor may ask you about it so they know if you were thinking about it or not."<br>"I know and I appreciate it."  
>"Tamaki Suoh?" Seeing a nurse waiting for them to take him to the back he stood up happy Sara would be waiting for him when he got done.<p>

Rejoining Sara they left not saying a word really.  
>"I have to wait. I'm worried enough and now I have to wait."<br>"How long?"  
>"Sometime tomorrow at the earliest."<br>"You'll be alright. Are you going to work tonight?"  
>"No, I called him before I could call you and told him I wouldn't be in. Once I hear something I'll probably go there and officially quit."<br>"It's for the best. If you'd like you can spend the night. We can make room for you and René no problem."  
>"No it's all right. I'll be okay, thanks though."<br>Shoving his hands his pockets he thought about tomorrow. Tomorrow he would hopefully find out if René was going to be a big brother or not. René was just a little over a year old and he could have a sibling in his life. Maybe, maybe he should suck it up and call Kyouya, tell him he was sorry but he had to take René before he ruined his life any more. He could hand him over and then drop out of his life so he wouldn't have to know his mother was a prostitute. He was sure Kyouya would raise him well, give him a great life. At least he would know his father, unlike another child who would never. Not only did he have no clue as to who the father could be to this child he doubted any of his clients would want to raise them. A few had already told him that if he ever did get pregnant they didn't want to be notified and they would stop going to him. What they didn't know was that if he did get pregnant he would lose his job anyway so it didn't really matter anyway.

Getting back to Sara's he picked up René and against Sara's wishes to at least stay for dinner, decided to go. He really wanted to just get home and try to relax, possibly even get some sleep. He had been up all night after he got back from work unable to sleep from worrying so much. Sara had asked him how he thought he knew and while something just told him how he was he had this feeling at the pit of his stomach. Not to mention that he noticed he had gained some weight. While he was getting dressed to head home he noticed it, not that he hadn't noticed his clothes seemed tighter than they used to be but he didn't think anything of it at the time. He thought he just gained back some of the weight he lost when money was tight. The more he thought about it the more he realized he could very well be pregnant. He had always been thin, except for when he was pregnant.  
>"Dada…" Hearing René at his feet he picked him up to see what he wanted. He felt bad for not paying as much attention to him all day with his mind so preoccupied.<br>"Have I been ignoring you? Daddy's sorry; he has been a little out of it today." Getting off his lap he watched René stand using his legs as support.  
>"Look at you standing. You're such a big boy." Blowing Tamaki off he tried to reach for a toy not super far from him.<br>"Want daddy to get it for you René?" Leaning over to reach for it better he watched René try to take a step. He was super wobbly but managed to stay up. Tamaki knew his mouth was hanging open as he watched his son complete a step, his first step. Taking it slow he reached for the toy. Tamaki clapped at him for his great accomplishment, hearing him René dropped his toy and tried to copy Tamaki. With a giant happy smile on his face and giddiness over seeing his daddy's happiness he lost his balance and fell. Tamaki felt terrible for laughing at him but the look on his confusion when his butt hit the ground was priceless. Going to him he picked him up and held him close. That was just what he needed today; he loved his son so much for getting him to smile when such uncertainty loomed over head.  
>"Thank you so much René. I love you so much I hope you know that."<br>"Dada!"  
>Hugging René better they went back to the couch to sit together until he made dinner. He couldn't wait to hear René really start talking, or at least know more words. His son had a pretty voice he liked hearing it.<p>

That night Tamaki couldn't sleep for more than a few hours. It took forever to fall asleep and then once he did he couldn't stay that way. The thought of having another baby simply terrified him. He couldn't raise another child but he would feel horrible if he gave them up. For them to know that their brother got to grow up with him but they couldn't, it was a sad thought. Even if it was proving them with a better future it still depressed him. Rolling to his side he watched René who was sound asleep. He also thought about how he could never drop out of his life, ever. He loved him too much to hand him over to someone, even if it was Kyouya, and then never see him again. It had been a stupid thought in the first place. He should have quit before he even started, that was the real lesson here. As soon as he learned what was expected of him he should have turned around and left. Then none of this would have happened. The money was not worth this. The only good thing was that this was the only outcome that fell upon him. There were things a lot worse than an unexpected pregnancy that could have happened to him. Obviously he would take this over something else but he would have been happy if nothing happened. Maybe he needed this though. Maybe this was his wake up call to stop what he was doing and try to change his life. Before something else happened, before his risked his son being taken from him, or he was taken from René forever. He didn't want to leave him, ever. Sure he faced so many hardships but having René was like owning the world. He loved his son more than words could say; becoming a parent was one of the greatest things to ever happen to him. If only love was enough to survive in the world, then he would be set for life and the thought of having another baby wouldn't frighten him so much.  
>"If only."<p>

Hearing a knock at his door Tamaki attempted to get it and watch René who was now also curious about what he heard.  
>"Don't move, I'll be right back." Not that that ever worked but he had to try.<br>"Hello Sara, Michael. Come in, please."  
>"We wanted to see how you were doing, if you got any sleep."<br>"Well thank you I appreciate it. I slept better than I did the other night but still need a full night."  
>"Well hopefully today you can."<br>"Hopefully."  
>He did appreciate Sara coming over to wait it out with him. How was he ever going to repay her for her kindness and all she did for him? Around two they both jumped as the phone rang. Tamaki stopped playing with René to answer it, his hands were sweaty, he wouldn't be surprised if they were shaking.<br>"Hello?...This is him…Oh, yes, hello….Really? Thank you so much…You do the same." Putting the phone back on the hook he crashed into the kitchen chair and exhaled.  
>"Tamaki? Was that them? What did they say?"<br>He started laughing as a smile erupted across his face. Rubbing his hands along his face he tried to compose himself even just a little.  
>"That was the office. They said it came back negative. I'm not pregnant!"<br>"Oh that's great!" Getting off the loveseat she went to hug him. She was so happy for him, he could relax now. Seeing René coming over to them curious about what was going on they broke apart so Tamaki could pick him up.  
>"Did you hear that René? I'm not going to have another baby, I'm still all yours isn't that great!"<br>"Dada!"

Once things had settled a little he moved back to the loveseat still holding René who didn't want to go back to playing with Michael it seemed. That was fine with him, he loved when René wanted to stay close.  
>"I guess we are living pretty well if I put weight on. I'll take it over the other anytime. Though with me no longer working I doubt that will be for much longer."<br>"I'll ask Sean to see if he can help you."  
>"No it's okay. I can find other work, nothing close to what I was making I'm sure but that's fine. Sean couldn't get me a job anyway, we both know it. Not even counting this job I am still a high school dropout. No one in his line of work or any business besides part-time low income jobs would hire me. I'm uneducated and why deal with me when there are people more qualified.<br>"He could still see."  
>"I'll be okay. Don't worry about me."<br>"Just don't go starving yourself again."  
>"Trust me I won't let things get that bad."<br>"They talked for a little while longer before Sara decided to get going before Sean got home. Tamaki decided now would also be the best time to talk to his boss. He was not going through this again. One pregnancy scare was enough for him; he got lucky this time he wasn't going to chance a second time.

His boss made some crack about being back but overall it went well. He had to turn in his cell that he was issued which wasn't a problem. He didn't want anyone to contact him. He was done with this part of his life. As he left a regular client of his was walking in. He would not miss him; he was tired being scared by him when he was drunk, and bruised.  
>"Heading in the wrong direction aren't you?"<br>"No, I don't work here anymore. Excuse me please."  
>He didn't want to discuss it with René in his arms."<br>Stepping away he felt the guy grab his arm to stop him.  
>"Let me go, please." Suddenly he was scared for his son's safety. If this guy got violent he could go after René and he had nothing to do with this.<br>"Do you really think you can survive without this place? You're a whore and nothing else."  
>"Look, I have the chance to make a new life for me and my son. Now please back off and let me go."<br>"I can take care of you."  
>"Excuse me?" He not only was taken off guard but he wasn't sure he heard him right. He didn't even know this guy and he was making claims about wanting to take care of him. He pulled out a cell phone and gave it to Tamaki.<br>"I don't want this."  
>"I'll make it worth your while for you. I'll prove it to you. Go out with me."<br>Now Tamaki was really lost, he wanted to date him? He thought he was married, or at least had a girlfriend, he saw a picture of a woman in his wallet one night.  
>"I…I don't date."<br>"You couldn't date clients but I'm not anymore am I?" He wanted to get away from him but he knew he couldn't run, he would be followed.  
>"Fine, sure I guess a date would be fine. I need to figure out a day that works for my babysitter."<br>"I've got your number and you have mine. Use it."  
>With that Tamaki was let go of and free to step away from him. Holding René tighter he walked to his place and noticed he was looking over his shoulders every so often. Should he call Sara and get her advice? No he didn't want to involve her. And he could date him it wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't like he asked to marry him or something and being taken care of. That would be nice, but, he didn't want to be with someone just so they could use him for sex. Though maybe that guy had feelings for him and wanted to get to know him better. Ugh, what to do?<br>"René when you get older don't leave the person you love. Unless they abuse you, then it's not really love. Better yet don't end up like me okay?" He knew René had no idea what he was talking about and he didn't even have to see the confused look on his face to know it.

That night he fell asleep quickly now being able to relax. He almost fell asleep before René and that would have been bad. That night he knew he dreamt but he wasn't sure about what. He woke up not remembering them but deep down he felt they were pleasant ones. That was a change for once, a nice change too. He would take it of course since he never took a good thing for granted. He wondered if it wasn't a sign for the future now that he made some changes in his life. Once he was up and ready for the day and René was ready as well he went out to try and get work. He decided to try the stores again, they didn't bring in a lot of money but he made them work before he could probably do it again. Plus, he had paid off all his medical bills from René prior to being insured once he started making more from the "house" so that would help out now. That should give him a little extra to work with. He was glad they were willing to take him back with little trouble, he could start tomorrow. While he wanted to see if he could find something a little better this worked for now. He worried that with no income he would face problems again but it didn't look like that would happen. Once back home he told Sara and hoped she would be willing to babysit again during the day. She sounded thrilled, both at babysitting and knowing he found other work. While he had her on the phone he asked if she would be willing to watch René tonight, it seemed he had a date.

Looking at the text that sat open on the phone he had been given last night he couldn't turn off the feeling his gut had. He hoped this guy knew he couldn't be bought and wasn't going to be controlled. If so then this was ending right now.  
>"You have a date?"<br>"It looks like it."  
>"Who? I need details Tamaki!"<br>"It's a secret admirer I guess. He used to come into one of the stores all the time. He, saw me when I went to try and get my job back this afternoon. We got to talking and he asked me to join him for dinner tonight. I would bring René but just in case something happens since I only know a little about him I would feel better if he stayed somewhere I know he is safe."  
>"No problem, I would probably do the same thing. I want details after though."<br>"Done. That's the least I can do for you."  
>With that he hung up and jumped in the shower. As he went into the bathroom he hoped one day he could look at himself in the mirror again. He may never be able to remove the stains his actions caused but he hoped to be able to stand the sight of his face again.<p>

Dropping René off at Sara's he promised not to be gone too long though both her and Sean said he didn't have to rush. If only he had told them the truth about this guy, they probably wouldn't have been as excited for him. Hopefully he wouldn't regret this decision; maybe this was the start of a good thing. Meeting up at the restaurant Tamaki noticed they were escorted to the back where it was quieter. He was glad that phone had his name in it; most clients never gave a name or an alias if anything. Private clients usually did that but he didn't remember most of them.  
>"I can call you Brandon right?"<br>"Of course. Wine to start."  
>"Ummm, sure." He didn't have a chance to say no as he was already pouring it for him. That feeling of worry was starting to come back even stronger now.<br>_*Shit, what have I gotten myself into?* _

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I am trying so hard to update faster I swear but my mind wants to multi-task and I can't read and write at the same time so I jump back and forth. Please read and review. I love you long time if you do.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Tamaki didn't want to be here anymore. Brandon was becoming a drunken flirt which meant things could get sketchy very quickly. He was happy knowing René would be safe if something happen to him. Sara would keep him protected and take care of him. He could face whatever happened tonight so long as he knew René was going to be alright. He knew he shouldn't have come here, why did he keep doing stupid things? When was he ever going to learn?  
>"Do you want to get going?"<br>"Sure. And thank you again for dinner." Good he could go, that was good; that was what he wanted. Getting up after the bill was paid he followed Brandon to the front of the restaurant since it seemed rude to lead. Exiting he turned to head to Sara's to pick up René and head home for the night. He knew she wanted details and he had work in the morning.  
>"Where do you think you're going?"<br>Stopping he turned back to Brandon, he just wanted to go home.  
>"Umm, I need to pick up my son. But, thank you for a nice night. I haven't been on a date for awhile now and I enjoyed it." Hopefully he didn't see that he was lying.<br>"I haven't said you can go yet and the night is still young."  
>"Look, while I appreciate the generosity you cannot tell me what to do. I'm not yours." Tamaki shut up as he was back handed across the face.<br>"Don't get smart with me. You owe me."  
>He could feel his body shaking as he registered what just happened and what was coming. He was in trouble and the street seemed quiet meaning he was alone. No one was leaving or entering the restaurant they just came from and it wasn't the type of place to have a guy waiting outside.<br>"Now apologize to me."  
>"I…I'm sorry. Please forgive me."<br>"Good, now come on." Grabbing his wrist he was dragged to his place. He didn't even bother fighting against him; there was no point to it. Fighting would only get him killed. This was worse than working at the "house," there he had "friends" and rules to protect him. Now he was alone and treated like nothing more than a piece of property. Things could take a turn for the worse very quickly and the slap across his face could become the least of his troubles.

Being brought to the back of Brandon's home he was thrown on the bed. This was not what he had in mind for the night. He wasn't this person any more. Trying to get off the bed he tried to escape before things got any further.  
>"Where do you think you're going? Get back here."<br>"No let me go!" Feeling him grab his arm he tried to break free. Fight or flight had kicked in allowing him to see he had to get out of here. Trying to release his arm he struggled against him until he was slammed in the nearby wall.  
>"Let me go!" God he wished he was stronger so he could push him back.<br>"You're mine; you don't want debts do you? Or maybe you want the government to investigate your son? Hmmm, maybe I could sell him; he would probably make a pretty penny with a face like his."  
>His eyes went wide at the thought of René being taken from him and sold. It was a black market practice if he remembered correctly.<br>"You leave him out of this!"  
>"Then stop fighting me! I don't want to damage a pretty face like yours but if you don't obey than I have to teach you to."<br>"Fine. Fine! Do what you will just please don't hurt him."  
>"Good boy. Don't worry I'll take care of you." Chills ran up Tamaki's spine as he was caressed and defeated, he stopped struggling and allowed himself to be pushed back on the bed. He forced himself not to cry as Brandon did whatever he wanted to him. This was to keep René safe, and Sara, Sean, and Michael. He could never forgive himself if they got hurt because of him.<p>

Quickly getting dressed again he waited for Brandon to say he could go. Before he did though, he made him form an agreement that he would never call his house or show up there while his son was home. He needed one place to feel safe at least. Brandon agreed but only if he swore to see no one else. He would prefer death over seeing him again. But then René would be in danger and he could not do that to him. Practically running out the door he didn't stop until he was close to Sara's. He didn't want her to think something happened. Catching his breath and making sure he didn't look like a mess he took a second before knocking on her door. Seeing her open the door with a smile he relaxed seeing she was safe. Brandon hadn't called anyone while they were together but he still worried until he saw them. Being ushered inside he sat on the couch and had a sleepy René placed in his arms. Holding him close he could feels his lungs start to breathe again.  
>"So how did he go? Hold on, Tamaki, what happened to your face?"<br>Shit, he forgot about that when he pulled himself together.  
>"My face? Oh! Ha, so the bathroom at the restaurant was a swinging door. Didn't know that until it hit me."<br>"What did you open it with the side of your cheek? Sean can you get me an ice pack from the fridge."  
>"I am okay; really don't even worry about it. I didn't look that bad when I checked. But, no, he was talking to me and I wasn't looking at where I was going and whack."<br>"You have a bruise, let me ice it."  
>"No, really I'm fine I swear. I hate to cut this short but I need to get René home and I have work in the morning. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."<br>"Okay Tamaki. Tomorrow than." Wishing him a safe trip home she promised to bug him about it tomorrow.

Happy to be home he put René to bed before checking how bad he was. His face was definitely bruised from where Brandon slapped him, fantastic, that's just what he needed. The longer he thought about it the more he saw how trapped he was. He couldn't escape him, he had no place to run and be safe from him. Brandon could find him, would go after him and would hurt him for running. He would hurt René. He had to stay to protect them both. He had to stay so he could protect his son. That was the same reason he stayed alive, so René would be okay and protected. At least he would be "taken care of," if he wasn't killed first. Turning off the light he left the bathroom to try and sleep for the night. He had work in the morning and wanted to at least look put together. He was screwed with the bruise but he could make it work, hopefully. Maybe it would be gone by the time he woke up. Probably not but he liked to be hopeful.

Hearing his alarm and René also stirring from it he got up to get them both ready for the day. He was actually looking forward to going back to work at the convenient stores. After the job he just had anything was better than that.  
>"Ready to go spend the day with Aunt Sara and Michael? I bet Michael will be happy to have a playmate again." Picking him up and making sure he had everything he needed he headed out. Sara was waiting for him as well as a job that was honest, horrible pay or not. Arriving at Sara's he got René settled so he could go.<br>"Dada buh-bi?"  
>"Yes I have to go bye-bye for now but I'll see you later. Go play with Michael and you won't even realize I left." Saying good-bye he thanked Sara for doing this for him again and left before he was late. He was happy to hear René trying to say bye to him, he had been trying to teach him new words as much as he could. He could tell he had a long way to go before sentences or teaching him Japanese but he knew you had to start somewhere.<p>

It felt strange but nice to be back. He had the same jobs to do as before he quit but this time he didn't mind them as much. His biggest issue now was possibly coming across old clients since he worked with the public. Not to mention he would see anyone from high class to low class on any given night so he could come across someone anywhere. Any job he had could lead him to someone he had slept with. What a sick thought, again he slapped himself for doing what he did and do so long too. He had to stop dwelling on it though, that was the past he had to move on in his mind they way he did in the present. Never letting it go meant he would never be able to focus on what mattered in the here and now. For example, like his job. If he didn't pick it up his boss would come down on him. He didn't want them to be sorry they re-hired him.

Getting home for the night he realized he was exhausted. His body wasn't use to the shift switch and having to do actual work. He knew it would only take a couple of days for it to adjust but right now all he wanted to do was shower and sleep. Sadly he couldn't since René was wide awake and wanted to play and play with him. Of course he couldn't say no to him, not with that adorable, "happy to see you" look on his face. Curse his son's cuteness.  
>"You are going to get in a lot of trouble with a face like yours you know that? But then again, you could probably get out of trouble that way too." Seeing René waving a building block he sat beside him knowing he wanted him to come closer so they could play before he fell asleep. He really did have a smart child.<br>"I wonder if Kyouya was like this too." Not realizing what he mumbled he smiled at René before giving him his fall attention.

After work the next day he stopped by Sara's to pick up René to find him mesmerized by something. Coming closer he saw him staring at himself.  
>"Vain much?" Laughing he knelt down to pet the top of his head.<br>"Dada!" Excited to see Tamaki he started to bounce up and down in his spot. "Well I'm happy to see you too." Lifting him up he gave him a giant hug like he always did.  
>"I was showing the boys their reflection, Michael liked to watch himself at René's age too. And he has found a new love for rolling objects just so your aware of it."<br>"Good to know. I'll pick a ball up on my way home I guess so we can play with it tonight. Would you like that René, hmm?"  
>Watching him giggle he smiled alongside him until he felt his pocket start to vibrate. He knew who that was, and now was not a good time.<br>"Can you take René for a second?" Handing him to Sara he step away to answer it.  
>"…I'm sorry, now really isn't a good time…I know but I have my son…No…I'm sorry but I can't." He pulled the phone from his ear as Brandon started yelling. He knew he would be in trouble when they got together again that was for sure.<br>"Tamaki, is everything alright?" Sara stepped a little closer hearing pieces of what Tamaki was saying.  
>"Fine. Hold on…let me find out." Turning he covered the mic as he spoke to Sara.<br>"Something just came up. I hate to ask but could you watch him a little longer? I won't be long I hope."  
>"What's going on?"<br>"The one I went out with the other day is telling me something is going on near my place. I don't feel right bringing René along, he could get hurt since he won't tell me what is going on just that I should go check it out."  
>"Sure I don't mind. But be careful alright. Call if you need help."<br>"Thank you so much. I promise to be right back." Telling Brandon he was on his way he gave René a quick kiss and ran out. He couldn't keep doing this, he couldn't keep asking Sara to watch René longer when Brandon called. There was no way he was bringing René along with him though. Brandon had a temper and he feared for René's safety if they together.

God he hurt right now. His body hurt all over; from where Brandon hit him for giving him a hard time over the phone and from how he was touched. He could barely move but he had to get up so he could get René from Sara's and get home. Sitting up he felt Brandon's arm come across his chest to push him back down.  
>"I can't stay the night. I'm sorry but I need to get my son before my babysitter worries."<br>"Tell her something came up."  
>"I can't, she knows I would never leave him overnight." Moving his arm he slid his legs over the side of his bed so he could find his clothes and leave. Tamaki fell to the floor as he felt a belt go across his back.<br>"I told you to stay." Throwing a phone at him he made him call Sara.  
>"S…Sara, hey it's me. Look, I'm really sorry but…but can René stay the night?"<br>"Tamaki? Is everything alright? Are you okay? What's going on?" He tried not to let her hear the tears trying to escape his eyes.  
>"I…I'm fine but," what did he tell her? "But, my apartment is being raided with a few others in the complex. The building was housing drugs it looks like and we are all being searched."<br>"Where will you stay? Will you be alright? Are you safe where you are?"  
>"We can't leave the station until we are found clean. I'm not worried but I can't get René and who knows when I can go." He could tell Brandon wanted him to hang up. "I can't talk but I'll make it up to you I promise."<br>"No, don't worry its fine. Please call me once your back home or when you can come here. Talk to you tomorrow."  
>"Talk to you tomorrow." He hung up and tried to stand, his back was burning it felt like.<br>"Good boy, now come here." Taking the phone from Tamaki he lifted him to throw him back on the bed. He hissed as the mattress hit his skin, at least René was safe for the night. He would be okay with Sara if even if he never made it back to him.

As the morning rays hit Tamaki's face he sprang up and out of bed. The bed was empty, hell, where was Brandon? And what time was it? He had to talk to Sara and get to work. Shit, he had work and Sara watched René all night, but he couldn't not go to work but he had to pick up René. Not to mention he was immense pain, his back especially. Maybe he could call out from work saying he fell down some stairs or something and couldn't move. That could work actually. Okay, so he would call out and pick up René, perfect. Hearing footsteps he froze where he was. Praying Brandon would let him leave he tried to stay calm and positive, he couldn't be kept prisoner here people would know he was missing.  
>"Morning Tamaki, sleep well? Why don't you sit? You look frightened. I won't hurt you. I even brought you a cold cloth for your back. I am sorry about that last night. Here let me heal you."<br>Not wanting to make him angry he sat beside him and let him help.

Two hours later he was finally able to leave. He decided to use a payphone really quickly to call out from work claiming he fell in the shower and could barely move, before running to Sara's. She had no idea how happy he would be to see her and especially René. He just knocked on the door before it flung open and Sara pulled him inside. Giving him a once over and seeing he was in one piece she demanded answers.  
>"Okay so what the hell happened last night? Saying you scared me is an understatement."<br>"I am so sorry about that. That guy, Brandon, he called me because someone called him about my apartment complex. When I went to see what he was talking about I learned that everyone was being detained while the raid took place. I told them about René but they said I couldn't leave until the search was over. They just released me a half hour ago."  
>"Well I am glad you're safe and sound. Hearing your voice over the phone, it sounded like you were upset and I didn't know if you were okay or not."<br>"I was a bit emotional I guess. They kept us in the dark about what was going on and while I knew René was safe here with you I couldn't help but worry about him."  
>"I would be the same way I'm sure."<br>At the Tamaki saw René in Sean's arms and went over to him before he barely made it into the living room.  
>"René! You have no idea how happy I am to see you! Daddy missed you so much!"<br>"Dada!"  
>Tamaki held René close so happy to have him in his arms again. Last night was never happening again. He told Brandon that right before he left. As much as he hated the idea he told Brandon his address so he could keep René with him and not try to hide the truth from Sara. The idea of René being so close to Brandon and putting him in possible danger bothered him but he could also keep René safe this way and not have him used as bait. He could go through hell, let Brandon do whatever he pleased to his body so long as René was near him and okay.<p>

Convincing Sara he was fine and had already called out for the day was no easy task. Though he had finally succeeded and was able to leave. He was really starting to hurt and wanted to go lie down. Lying across the loveseat proved to be painful since he really was too tall for it but it was safer for René this way. He could safely slide off him and onto the floor which he couldn't do on the bed. Watching him move around the living room he saw him chasing a ball he kept kicking as he attempted to grab it. Sara told him she was surprised he had tried to bend over and grab things the other day, she was in awe when he told her he could do that already. Apparently it was a learned skill that René had the ability to do as soon as he was able to walk. Her saying that though did only further prove the fact that his son was amazing.  
>"Dada. Ball." Finally getting it in his hands he tried to give it to Tamaki.<br>"Yes it is a ball René, good job. For me, thank you." Taking it and then lifting René up to sit on him he flinched as René let the ball hit his face. That was uncalled for. "As funny as that was for you let's not do that again okay? Daddy has had enough abuse for one day alright." Giving it back to him he tried to safe guard his face. Watching René play around on him he thought about what he had on his mind last night. What if he moved, tossed Brandon's phone, quit his jobs, took René and moved, went somewhere far from here so he couldn't be found. That was probably his best and only option to escape from Brandon's clutches. He didn't want to be used just for sex, he didn't want to be abused, treated as an object, threatened. He felt so old from all of this; he had to keep reminding himself he was only eighteen. He really started to hate himself, his looks, his age. While he got himself into this mess who he was didn't help. No one would want him if he wasn't the way he was. He hated having smooth, soft skin, having blonde, able to run fingers through hair, he hated his light lilac eyes that could glisten in the light. Sure he could dye his hair and gain forty pounds but it wouldn't change anything probably. And knowing Brandon he would probably force him to dye his hair back and drop any added weight. His idea would only really work if he moved and honestly he couldn't move far enough. The city had jobs, the countryside probably didn't. Maybe Sara could help but he really didn't want to involve her in this. Brandon could very well go after her if he found out and he could never forgive himself if she got hurt. No he was alone in this; he got himself in this mess he had to get himself out.

Seeing the bills pile up Tamaki knew he needed a third job. The stores just weren't paying enough and while Brandon gave him money every time they met up he really hated to use that money. A huge problem though was René. A third job wasn't really possible since no one could watch him. Sara was great for during the day but he needed someone for at night. Though, if he could find a better daytime job he could shell out enough to cover someone for a few hours at night. Looking around he saw there wasn't much in terms of daycares that were open for nighttime work. The ones he did find weren't too expensive though which was good. The money he had collected from Brandon would cover it. He wasn't using it for anything anyway so he might as well. With that settled he searched for a third job. Near the daycare and Sara's was a restaurant that was in need of servers. It paid pretty well considering and he could adjust his schedule fairly easily which was a plus. The owner seemed disgusted by the sight of René but he didn't let that stop him from hiring him. It was settled then, he would work in the morning to three pm at the restaurant, and then pick up René from Sara's to drop him off at the daycare to be at work at the one convenient store by four. On the weekends, since he now picked up an eight hour shift there he would have René at the daycare then also. Sara told him she would do it but he felt bad, four hours was one thing but eight was another. Sean was off on the weekends, they should be able to enjoy him being home without worrying about René.

It seemed he finally had a plan that worked as it settled into a normal routine. He watched time advance and he was able to relax over not worrying about how the bills would be paid, how René would get the things he needed. It only took him almost two years but at least he was finally getting somewhere. He could handle it taking so long only if it meant he had made valuable progress. He had always known he could do this on his own, sure it had been harder but it wasn't any less capable as the next person.

0o0o0o0o0o0

I am working on the next chapter already and we are getting things moving. I can't wait! Please review. Love you.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

"René, you better be up!"  
>"Right here daddy. What's for breakfast?" Sitting at the table he slouched seeing cereal placed in front of him.<br>"Sorry kiddo. I know I promised something better but I forgot to get eggs yesterday."  
>"Tomorrow?"<br>"Sure. Now what's they plan for today?"  
>"You're dropping me off at school then going to work till I get out and then you're picking me up."<br>"Good, you actually listened for once."  
>Finishing up he put his bowl in the sink and grabbed his backpack.<br>"Aunt Sara and Michael are meeting us right?"  
>"That's the plan. Good to go?"<br>"Yea!"  
>It was nice seeing René excited for school, depressing knowing he started first grade today but seeing him happy was helping ease some of it. His son was six, just turned six a week ago, where had the time gone."<br>"Daddy! Hurry up!"  
>"Sorry, sorry go ahead I'm right behind you."<p>

The boys walked in front of Tamaki and Sara and discussed some show they loved on TV.  
>"René looks excited for today; Michael is probably only okay with it because he is in the same class with him. He actually told me he would help with Abby if he got to stay home, can you believe that. If that doesn't tell you something right then and there and I don't know what would." She turned to her year old daughter who was in her arms and said something to her.<br>"René is probably the same, though, maybe not, I believe he enjoys the thought of school. Well at least I hope so." Arriving at the school René turned around to hug Tamaki good-bye before going inside with Michael. Looking down he noticed if he didn't hurry he was going to be late for work and his boss would come down on him. As much as his boss could be a total pain and he hated when he called out because of René he liked his job. At times he actually got to play the piano. It was extremely rare but if the pianist couldn't show up he volunteered knowing it helped draw in customers. Plus, he was able to keep any tips, not that it was much or many but it told him his lack of playing hadn't hurt his ability to. Running in he punched in as his boss walked in the back, phew.

Happy to be done for the day he ran to the school to see René just getting out.  
>"Thought you weren't going to make it for a second there."<br>"Me too, and I would have felt terrible."  
>'Daddy!"<br>"Hey René, how was school?" Seeing him run over to them he bent down so he could give him a giant hug, René happily accepted.  
>"It was great!"<br>"That's good to hear. Ready to head home?" Nodding he said good-bye to Sara and Michael and grabbed Tamaki's hand. They didn't get far before René started to pull him towards a store, right he had to pick up a few things. During the walk home René talked about what he did, the people in his class, the teacher. He was happy to hear him so animated and that so far he liked school. Hopefully that wouldn't change as the year progressed but he would take it for now.

René ran inside the house in front of Tamaki happy to be home. He loved hanging with Michael after school when his dad was at work but he liked being home with him better.  
>"Hey before I lose you to the TV what do you want for dinner?" Tamaki yelled over his shoulder as he looked in the refrigerator for something. René ran over to sneak between Tamaki and the fridge door.<br>"Can we order pizza?"  
>"Sure, but you have to find the menu." Leaving his side he went on a hunt to try and remember where it was from the last time. They didn't order in much so all the menus got lost pretty easily. Tamaki went in their bedroom to change out of his uniform. He had never been crazy about the fact that he shared the bedroom with René knowing when Brandon decided was over he couldn't go in but he had his own bed and René kept saying he liked sharing a room. It wouldn't work once he got older but since it was fine while he was little he would take advantage of it.<br>"Found it! And you're phones ringing." Coming out of the room he took it from René.  
>"Pick what you want. I'll order it once I'm done."<br>"Okay." Going into the living room he opened the menu to leave Tamaki to his call. Hanging up he sat beside him on the loveseat.  
>"Pick something?"<br>"Is he coming over?"  
>"No, he isn't."<br>"Okay. I don't like him. He smells and yells a lot."  
>"I know, and your right he does."<br>"Why do you like him?"  
>"I don't, not really but…it's a long story as to why I keep in contact with him. Now what do you want because I am hungry." <p>

Lying in bed he watched René sleeping in the other. He thought about what he said about not liking Brandon. It wasn't the first time he mentioned not being a fan of him. Brandon's temper hadn't gotten better over the years; though he knew he couldn't come over really when René was here. He had on occasion but he made sure he didn't stay long. And thankfully things had never gotten violent when René was home. He didn't want him to witness such abuse; he tried to have a peaceful home and not one filled with abuse and foul language. There was enough of that in the world; his home would not be included in that number. His son was still so young, so impressionable, and still deserved his childhood. He deserved his innocence and to be aware of only things most children his age knew about. He should only worry about school and making friends, and not about his parent in a terrible relationship.

"Father get up!"  
>"Ugh!" Feeling hands hit his chest his eyes opened to see René over him.<br>"What, what's wrong?" Looking over at the clock he saw he had ten minutes to get up, dressed, and René to school before they were both late.  
>"Crap. I am sorry. Here let me get you breakfast."<br>"It's fine, I ate and I made a bowl for you."  
>Stopping trying to throw his clothes on he looked over at his son.<br>"You know you're the absolute best and I love you right. And, your dressed, stop growing so fast."  
>"I just need you to tie my shoes."<br>"I can do that." He mumbled as he ran into the bathroom and shoved a toothbrush in his mouth. Running out René handed him his wallet, keys, and cell phone as he tried to swallow the bowl of cereal René made for him.  
>"What am I forgetting?"<br>"Your shoes."  
>"Shoes, crap, yea, thanks." Running back into the bedroom he slipped his shoes on and ran out the door. Luckily the school wasn't too far from their place, though work was another story. René made it just in time and Tamaki ran to work. Punching in he was only a few minutes late, that wasn't terrible.<p>

Tamaki sat across from René at the kitchen table to help him with his homework. Usually he worked on and completed it at Sara's since it got Michael to do his as well but on occasion they didn't finish. Tamaki was happy when those days happened; he liked helping his son do his homework. Having finished dinner and the dishes from it he was all René's until he went to bed.  
>"Daddy, what's this word mean?"<br>Taking the book to look at it better he gave it back.  
>"Across? It means to…" He stopped as they both heard banging at the front door. He could see the in René's eyes over the noise, over who it was.<br>"Tamaki! I know you're in there! Open this door!"  
>"Daddy…"<br>"Sshhh it's okay." Whispering he had René stand up.  
>"Go into the bedroom and don't come out until I get you okay?"<br>"What about you?"  
>"Don't worry about me." He flinched as he heard Brandon slam on the door harder; he was scared he was going to burst the door down. He knew already he was trashed and wanted sex, probably had gotten into another fight with his girlfriend. "Go on, I know it looks scary but don't worry okay. I'll be fine. I need you to be a big boy for me. Can you do that for me?"<br>Nodding he tried to stop the tears coming to his eyes. "That's my boy. I love you. Don't worry but here." Grabbing the kitchen phone he handed it to René. "You know Aunt Sara's number right?"  
>"Y…yes daddy."<br>"Good, why don't you call her, ask her if you can spend the night."  
>"But…okay daddy." Clutching the phone he ran into the bedroom. Tamaki watched him close the door before dealing with Brandon. He was surprised the neighbors hadn't called him to complain, though living here things like this were common, someone was always getting into arguments it seemed. Carefully opening the door it was slammed open just missing his hand.<br>"You shouldn't be here. My son is home you know that and you know my rules." Though he stepped back as Brandon stormed past him.  
>"Shut up bitch!" Tamaki stumbled as he was slapped across the face. Luckily he was able to use a little end table near the door to hold him up.<br>"Daddy!"  
>Both turned to see René in the bedroom doorway trembling by what he saw.<br>"René! I'm fine. Go back in the room."  
>"Listen to your father brat this doesn't involve you."<br>Scared he couldn't move from his spot but he remained silent holding his favorite stuffed bear in his grasp.

Tamaki stood and held the door open. "I think you should go Brandon and never come back here. Do so and I'll call the police."  
>"You can't tell me what to do. I own you."<br>"Not anymore. Now get out of my house!" He yelped as his arm was grabbed and he was shoved towards the loveseat. Brandon slammed the door before coming closer towards him. Feeling his fists connect with his ribs and gut he could barely breathe, reaching for Brandon's wrists he tried to stop him as he felt his clothes start to be pulled up to be taken off. "I don't like doing this you know that but you need to learn respect! This is what you get for talking back to me!"  
>"Don't hurt my daddy! Stop!"<br>Seeing René trying to stop Brandon Tamaki got himself to sit up. His body stung from the blows. Seeing Brandon preparing to hit his son he shoved his body into the other sending them both to the floor.  
>"Go René! Get out of here! Go call Aunt Sara and have her come get you! Please!" Seeing the look on his dad's face he ran out of the apartment to do what he asked.<br>"You little bitch what do you think you're doing!"  
>Being pushed off, Tamaki tried to struggle against Brandon and him wanting to take his pants off. This had to end, he didn't want this, he had never wanted this. His son almost got hurt because of his actions that he never should have let happen all those years ago.<br>"Get off me!"  
>"Shut up!"<br>He tasted blood as his face was hit again. A thought ran through his mind as he tried to fight against him, he could die here. Brandon could actually kill him this time. At least René wasn't here anymore.

He tried as hard as he could to push Brandon off him though it didn't seem to work all that well. Tears pooled under his eyes as he knew what was happening as he could feel Brandon moving further. It hurt, it hurt so much and he couldn't make it stop. Feeling his lips on his flesh, on his stomach and working up his chest, it all burned and he couldn't take it anymore. Being flipped around to put him on his stomach, he knew what was coming, why he was being forced down. Trapped to let submission happen, he brought this outcome upon himself he knew that but still, he never wanted this.  
>"Scream, I know you want to. Scream while I fuck you, I know this is what you want, what only I can give you! I would have loved you like no one else but you cannot be trusted."<br>"I never betrayed you! Stop! Please stop and leave me alone!" The words were muffled as his face went into the carpet. He refused to scream, refused to give him what he wanted. His fists grabbed the carpet as he felt Brandon force himself further into him. It had always hurt but never this badly, was this what he wanted though, to cause this pain and not pleasure? When they were together Brandon always sought pleasure, release from what troubled him but not this time.

Tamaki stumbled to Sara's door. He needed his son, to make sure he was safe, to make sure he was okay, that he got here okay and wasn't wondering the streets. He wanted to let him know that it was alright now. Knocking once, the door opened to see Sara standing there. He hadn't noticed he was using the door to help him stay up until it opened and he almost tumbled inside.  
>"Tamaki! Oh God! Sean, Sean come quick!" Helping him back on his feet she got him standing. Sean ran in from the other room to help him to the couch. Both were horrified by the shape he was in.<br>"R… René where he is?"  
>"With Michael in his room." She had questions for him but before she got to ask them she had to clean him up and assess the damage.<br>"Daddy!" They saw René in the hallway staring at Tamaki before he ran over to him. He could barely see as one eye was swollen shut and the other hurt to open completely but he could tell René had and still was crying as he wrapped his little arms around him.  
>"It's okay René, I'm okay. Don't worry everything is okay now. Daddy is here and I'm going to make sure nothing scary like tonight ever happens again." Shaking Sara off for a moment he moved his son's head to see his eyes. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?"<br>"No daddy I'm okay."  
>"I'm so glad to hear that. If anything happened to you I don't know what I would do. You were so brave I'm proud of you." Carefully he tried to wipe away the tears from under his eyes. "I am grateful you tried to help me and I want you to know you'll never have to again. I promise. I will never allow anyone to jeopardize your safety ever again. I am so sorry you had to witness what you did." He let go of René to hold his head, he was dizzy all of a sudden but he had things to do before he rested.<br>"Sara, is it alright if René spends the night?"  
>"Of course, he can stay as long as he wants, you both can."<br>"I need to find a new place, one that's safe, one where Brandon can't find us."  
>"Not now you're not! Tamaki you're in no shape. Heal up and then you can look for an apartment. And I don't want you to go alone. I really think we should take you to the emergency room. To be honest I'm surprised the cops didn't take you there."<br>"What cops?" He hadn't seen any, he left for René once Brandon finished. He managed to break away from him and as much as he wasn't proud of what he did he landed a swift kick on his groin and ran away as fast as he could. He took back paths to get here in hopes of not being found by Brandon once he recovered. He thought about calling the cops but he didn't want to stop. If he did he may not be able to keep going and he had he needed to get to René.  
>"I called the cops and had them sent to your place once René called."<br>"Forgive me Tamaki, I wanted to help you but I didn't want to leave René unattended and I wasn't going to bring him up with me knowing you had him leave for a reason. Though had I intervened you would probably be in better shape." Sean sat next to Tamaki and took a look at his face, if that was this bad he was scared to know how the rest of him was.  
>"Well as far as I know they never showed up unless it was after I left. I hate to ask but may I sleep on your couch for the night? I am suddenly very tired."<br>"Let us take you the hospital, you look in pretty bad shape."  
>"I'll be alright. I just need to rest. René why don't we get you ready for bed." At that he remembered they couldn't since they were at Sara's and he hadn't taken anything from their house.<br>"You can borrow something from Michael sweetie. I'll go find something right now." Sara went to see what she could find, Tamaki went to have René follow her but he just held him tighter.  
>"I'm not going anywhere I promise. Go with her and I'll be here when you get back."<br>"You promise?"  
>"I promise."<br>Slowly he moved away from Tamaki and taking Sara's hand went to see what they could put in him for the night. Sean went into the hallway closet to grab some towels to help clean Tamaki up.

Once both were changed Sara and Sean pulled out the bed from the sofa so they could sleep a little for the night. Tamaki had just tucked René in hoping he would sleep for the night when the doorbell rang. René sat up and moved closer to Tamaki while he held his bear tighter. Tamaki didn't realize he had brought it with him until he came back from Michael's room with Sara. Apparently he ran out of the apartment holding it.  
>"It's okay René, he can't hurt us I promise you're safe here."<br>Still, he could tell everyone was a little nervous as Sean when to see who it was.  
>"It's the cops."<br>They exhaled as he opened the door to let them in.  
>"Good evening officer can I help you?"<br>"Yes, did someone place a call in earlier? About abuse?"  
>"My wife did yes, about her friend being attacked in his home."<br>Sara went over to talk to the officer and see what was going on. If they were here then someone received her call meaning they would have gotten to Tamaki.  
>"Hello ma'am good evening. Officers went to the apartment and we found no one inside though there are signs of a struggle. Can you give us a description of your friend so officers can search for him?"<br>"There's no need. I'm right here." Tamaki looked up from René who had fallen asleep on his lap and got the officer's attention.  
>"Sir, my apologies for not arriving earlier. I was not the one dispatched but those that were are facing disciplinary action. We wish to assist you any way possible."<br>"I want him arrested, for threatening my son, forcing entry into my home, assault, and rape." He said the last word casually but his stomach flipped seeing the look of horror on both Sara and Sean's faces. He guessed that was the last thing on their minds. "If nothing else I want a restraining order out on him. I don't want this to happen ever again, not only for my safety but for my son's as well."  
>"Can you describe the man?"<br>"I can do one better, I can give you his phone numbers, address, name, and hang out locations."  
>Seeing he couldn't really get up the officer went to Tamaki to get all the information he needed. Hearing the call go out for Brandon's arrest made Tamaki relax ever so slightly.<br>"Are you willing to testify against him?"  
>"Yes. I would give you a full statement now but I have my son with me. He had been through enough for one night and there are some things he is too young to learn about."<br>"May I come tomorrow?"  
>Tamaki looked at Sean and Sara since this was their house, both agreed in seconds.<p>

After the officer left Sara checked Tamaki one more time to make sure he would be alright before letting him fall asleep for the night. She changed some if his bandages and had Sean rewrap his chest worried that his ribs may be cracked or broken.  
>"I'm okay, honest."<br>"You, this whole thing scared me beyond words Tamaki."  
>"I know, I may not be able to see well right now but I could tell you were crying when I showed up."<br>"I didn't know if you were alright. I picked up the phone to hear René crying and saying you were in trouble." She wiped her eyes trying not to cry again. "Get some sleep. If you need something we are just upstairs. I'll leave our door open, just yell."  
>"Go and sleep Sara. I'll tell you everything tomorrow and we'll both feel better." With that he smiled at her before moving René over a little so he could lie down and sleep as best he could. René rolled over to stay close to him while he held on to his bear happy to be near his dad just as much as Tamaki was happy to be near his son. This was something he couldn't do at the hospital, his son wanted him near and he after all that took place he would stay here, right here with him.<p>

"Daddy, daddy wake up!" Hearing René and what sounded like him crying he opened his eyes. René was over him shaking him.  
>"René, please stop, that hurts. What's wrong?" Sitting up he winced as his body didn't like the thought of him moving.<br>"Are you okay daddy?"  
>"I'm fine. Come here." Pulling him to his chest he could tell that sleeping in a little worried him. He never wanted to do this to him, make him go through something like this. "I am sorry I scared you last night. Want to talk about it?"<br>"He hurt you. He was mean. Why? Why would he do that?"  
>"Because there are people in this world that like to take their anger out on others. But there are more people like Aunt Sara and Uncle Sean in this world then people like Brandon. I don't want you to be scared around people and not trust them. You should always protect yourself but not to the point where you can't meet people. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"<br>"Yes Daddy."  
>"Good. And René." Lifting his chin he got him to smile. "We will be alright, we will move on from this and we will go on with our lives, okay."<br>"Okay."  
>"I love you René, I love you so much."<br>"I love you too daddy."

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So I will be really upset if Fanfiction puts forth it's new filters because while I get the explicit rule for sex scenes everything else sucks. Please read and review and see you all soon!  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Tamaki stood up flanked by René and Sean refusing to let Sara allow him to eat in bed. He hurt and while he could see out of his eyes they still bothered him. He wanted to try to get his life together. He wanted René to not dwell on what happened and slowly move on. To get him to do that though he had to follow that thought too, he had to lead by example.  
>"Daddy, sit here okay." Helping him sit down he sat beside him and gave Tamaki a plate.<br>"Since you're up after you eat I'll give you some pain medication. I was worried about if you had a head injury so I didn't want to give it to you last night."  
>"I understand and its fine, no worries."<br>"Woah!"  
>"Michael!" Both Sara and Sean scolded him for his bad manners though Tamaki laughed. He understood; Michael was six he was curious and blurted stuff out. Plus, it wasn't like he said anything inappropriate and if how he felt and how the others reacted to him was any indication of how he looked then he probably would have the same thought.<p>

After they had eaten breakfast Sean helped Tamaki wash up a bit and get dressed. He felt bad for asking for his assistance but it hurt too much to do it alone. Sean didn't seem to mind though and told him he would help anyway he could. He wondered if they would be willing to help once he told them everything, that what happened to him was something he brought upon himself. Stepping out of the bathroom with Sean as support he saw the officer from last night talking to Sara and René.  
>"Ah, sorry for my intrusion I hoped I could talk to Tamaki and get a statement if now isn't a bad time."<br>"No, it's fine." Trying to move away from Sean he wondered if he didn't have a cracked rib or two. His chest hurt and after trying to get dressed he felt ready for a nap. "René, can you give me a few minutes with the office please?"  
>"But daddy..."<br>"I'm okay; why not go see if Michael wants to play. If I need something I'll make sure to find you."  
>"Okay daddy."<br>"Sara, why not take the boys out back?" Both men saw the look on her face by Sean's words. Stepping away from Tamaki he moved over to her and whispered something. Faintly hearing the conversation it sounded like he wanted to keep her from getting upset as she was last night. It must have taken much once they had turned in for the night to settle her down.  
>"I'll be right out back if you need me." Turning to the officer she took her leave having René follow so they could find Michael and all play.<br>"Sorry about that. This whole thing has shaken my wife and I just couldn't stand to see her cry anymore knowing this won't be a pleasant story." Both nodded in understanding before Tamaki made his way to the table to sit and explain everything. Maybe it was better that Sara didn't hear this right now. He already knew she had worried about him years ago when he worked at the sex house and she had met Brandon before even though that was years ago. He would have to explain this to her later but they were best friends they had that luxury, the ability to talk and cry over everything in private.

Before he told him everything he had to know, he had to find out if Brandon was arrested.  
>"We arrested him last night at his home. We found out this wasn't his first offense, police had arrested him twice before for domestic violence by his girlfriend."<br>Hearing that he wanted to move even sooner, if this wasn't his first offense and he had been released. Neither him nor his son would be safe if he was released again. Oh how he wished he could move far, far away. The only plus side was he still never put himself in the phone book and he broke the cell phone Brandon gave him in two so he could never contact him. Hearing and understanding what this meant though he made sure to leave nothing out. As terrible as this story was, as ashamed as he was for telling the officer everything and knowing Sean was hearing it too he worked up the courage to say it. He watched him write every word down and saw it was being recorded to be used, in he could only guess, courts. If it would help then they could use it however.

The officer was there for about an hour to obtain all the needed information. As he was getting ready to go Tamaki asked if it was alright for him to go home. He had no desire to stay there and knew Sara would never allow it but he wanted to grab a few things. Sean's clothes were nice but they were a little small on him from the height difference it seemed and grabbing his toothbrush would be nice. Mouthwash only did so much.  
>"I can escort you if you would like. You should be safe but if you feel uneasy then someone can do it. Since you were found alive and safe it wasn't turned into a crime scene."<br>"I hate to be a bother. You have a job to do I'm sure."  
>"I have a daughter your age. I would like her to be escorted for her things if something like this happened to her. Though, I work to keep scum off like that off the streets."<br>Asking Sean if he could tell René he would be right back he started to get his body to stand.  
>"Mr. Suoh have you seen a doctor?"<br>"I have not."  
>"Daddy, I want to go to!" Hearing René come running in from the back of the house he stopped as he felt René grab his shirt.<br>"But I have other things to take care of right now. I'll go see one sooner or later once things calm down." Removing René's hand from his shirt he tried to bend down to have him try and understand. "I'll be right back. I'm just going with the officer to pick up a few things from our house. Stay here with Uncle Sean and Aunt Sara."  
>"No! I want to come to!"<br>"Please René just stay here. Is there anything you really want for right now? We'll get everything at another time."  
>Not happy with his dad's decision he stopped arguing though and thought about stuff he wanted. He had his bear already, "my backpack and the book with all the stories in it? Please?"<br>"Sure. Be good for Aunt Sara and I'll be right back."  
>Moving away from Tamaki, René looked over at the cop, "you better take good care of my Daddy, or I'll be really mad."<br>"René! Apologize!"  
>"Don't worry, I'll make sure no harm comes to your father you have my word. Should I fail at doing my job you can punish me however you see fit. You have a great dad and I'm going to make sure he comes back to you safe and sound."<br>"Okay then, you promise?"  
>"I promise."<p>

It was strange to ride in a cop car; he never had before and seemed to make seeing other people feel strange, though he was sitting up front. They had talked a little, about the incident and about René. The office, Dalton, mentioned how he was a single parent after his wife had gotten sick and passed away when his daughter was René's age. It was nice to talk to someone that had been there, to know of his struggles; struggles that had nothing to do with age. Arriving at the apartment he was helped out seeing he was struggling. In the pain he was already in he didn't want to think of the three flights of stairs he had to climb. The apartment felt strange to be in now. A few things had been moved, he believed Brandon did it before he left, it seemed as if he was looking for something.  
>"Can I help you somehow?" Officer Dalton saw the pain he was in after climbing the stairs.<br>"No I'm alright, thank you though. I don't need to grab much." Going into the bedroom he pulled out his old duffel bag and shoved some clothes in it for him and René before dragging it to the bathroom for their toothbrushes. Remembering René had asked for his favorite storybook he went back into the bedroom for it. Looking for René's backpack he saw it next to the kitchen table where he still had a book open that he was working on yesterday before everything happened. Closing it up, he put it in his bag and draped it over his shoulder. It was so small he couldn't help but smile over it.  
>"Here, Mr. Suoh let me help you. Lifting probably isn't helping your injuries." Offering to take the duffel bag from him Tamaki allowed him to take it. Saying no to an officer seemed out of place.<p>

René was happy to see Tamaki getting out of the car. He sat on the living room window to wait for him to get back. Running to him he took his backpack and started to drag the duffel bag inside since he couldn't lift it too well. Leaning against the car for a moment he tried to let the pain pass before going inside, he hated this.  
>"Let me help you inside before you fall. I recommend seeing if a doctor will make a house call. You hate to worry you're son right."<br>He had thought about it, seeing if he could call his doctor for an appointment and getting looked at. He had a six year old at home that he wanted to play with and watch grow up, the last thing he needed were injuries that stayed with him and made doing some of that impossible.

Once René dropped the bags down by the couch Tamaki went to lie back down. He could tell he hadn't slept right last night and all this movement wasn't helping any. After telling René he was fine a dozen times he had him lay with him while he closed his eyes. He was so tired a quick nap was just what he needed. What he wouldn't give to let this whole thing pass. To just move on without dealing with watching René worry or the pain his body was in. This horrible nightmare may have ended once Brandon was arrested but now he had to deal with the aftermath.

Groaning, feeling something, someone over him his eyes opened wide. Seeing a body he didn't recognize he quickly sat up and moved away from them. In pain he didn't get very far, he was still at Sara's though, that was good.  
>"Mr. Suoh, I'm not going to hurt you please calm down."<br>"Tamaki its okay he wants to help you." Looking at the second voice he saw Sara, looking back at the first one he saw he noticed it looked like a doctor.  
>"What…what is going on?"<br>"Mr. Suoh, Mrs. Belmont called me when she noticed you slept for awhile and seemed to be dealing with a fever. I had no intention of scaring you or hurting you. I was just doing a basic examination."  
>"Sara?"<br>"You fell asleep yesterday afternoon and I let you sleep but this morning I noticed you felt warm and weren't waking up."  
>He could tell she was crying again, he hadn't meant to frighten her he just wanted to sleep.<br>"You have a slight fever Mr. Suoh as well as a few internal bruises from what I can tell. Nothing seems broken though two ribs appeared cracked but you're lungs sound clear which is good. Without taking you to the hospital we don't know for sure. But, if you don't go you should be able to heal up on your own. I don't recommend it though for permanent damage may occur from doing nothing. I also feel you have a small concussion and advise taking it easy to avoid making it worse."  
>"Thank you." Moving slightly he looked over at Sara, "Where is René?" The doctor moved slightly to show him gripping Sean's side with tears running down his face.<br>"Oh René, come here, I'm okay. Everything is okay."  
>"Daddy!" Letting go of Sean he ran over to the pulled out bed to climb on top of it and get to Tamaki. Digging his head into his stomach he laid across him to cry.<br>"There, there René everything is alright now. Don't cry I'm right here and going to be fine." Rubbing his back he tried to get him to stop crying. He never wanted him to worry, never wanted to make him cry.  
>"Please don't cry, can you show daddy your beautiful smile? I love you René I could never leave you. Neither sickness nor injury will ever take me from you I promise." Slowly pulling away and sitting up he used his sleeve to dry his eyes. Tamaki looked around and found a tissue box besides the couch. Grabbing one he helped dry his eyes and wipe his nose.<br>"Please never leave me daddy, ever."  
>"I promise I'm yours; all yours and nothing will ever change that. We only have each other in this world, it's just you and me, we have to look out and take care of each other. That means neither one of us can ever lose the other."<br>Flinging himself into Tamaki's arm he hugged him as tightly as he could, if he could he would never let him go.  
>"I love you daddy."<br>"I love you too."

René stayed with him and became his nurse while he had to stay in bed. He always took his temperature to make sure it didn't spike again, though he had to have Sean or Sara look at it since he couldn't figure out if it was high or not. But he wanted nothing more than to make sure he drank plenty of fluids and changed the bandages on his body. He loved doing that for him and Tamaki had no problem with him doing that either. He wanted to make his son happy, he owed it to him. On Monday though, he made René go back to school with Michael. Both boys skipped Friday since things had been crazy Thursday night. With a promise that he would still be here when school ended he gave René a hug and had him leave with Sara so she could take him to school. Sean was going back to work today as well since things were going well and trying to go back to normal. Tamaki did his best to fix himself up without help until Sara got back home. He wanted to talk to her, explain everything and maybe actually get that testing done that she wanted him to do. The doctor told him Saturday to go to the hospital but René needed him here, he needed to know he was going to be okay. With him in school for the day he could now get looked at better.  
>"It's nice seeing you out of bed and all but please don't overdo it." Hearing Sara coming back into the house he carefully turned and went into the kitchen with her.<p>

Apparently saying this was a case of abuse got him seen faster. The doctor at the hospital had seen him quicker then he thought he would and had him put in for a chest scan by noon. By two he was back at Sara's with basically a clean bill of health. He did have two ribs cracked but they weren't terrible and should heal just fine. He had internal bruises all over as well as external but again it was nothing he had to stay at a hospital for. Knowing the boys would be getting out of school soon Tamaki waited until Sara was back before really sitting down and talking to her. He had a lot to tell her and didn't want the boys to feel like they forgot about them or have to stop so she could get them. It would be great to really sit down and talk with her. He hadn't been able to since he showed up and since he was busy working all day they couldn't get together much before all of this.

"Hi Daddy!"  
>"Hey René, how was school?" Giving him a hug he listened as he gave a quick rundown before Michael wanted him to play in the backyard. Seeing the debate going on in René's eyes he told him to go play and after dinner he would help him with his homework. It was nice to see René's eyes so bright and playful, this past weekend he refused to leave his side no matter how much Michael wanted him to play. With the boys occupied and knowing they would be fine in the yard he sat with Sara so they could talk. He wanted to explain everything to her and apologize for making her cry so much these past few days. Seeing her upset was like seeing René upset, he hated it and never wanted it to happen. He especially never wanted to be the cause of it.<p>

When he stopped they both had tears in their eyes. She had no idea Brandon, someone she had met before, had been terrorizing her best friend. Though, looking back certain things she had picked up on made more sense now. To hear Tamaki say though that he had endured it because he was scared to end it hit her hard. Tamaki never should have allowed the threats to take place even once. He saw the look on her face and knew his wasn't great either. He knew he should have told her what was going on sooner. The only reason he didn't was because he didn't know how. He didn't know how to tell her and keep her safe in case Brandon went after her for trying to break them apart. He knew Brandon never loved him; that he was just an object for sex and an object to vent anger but he could be dangerous, and Sara meant too much to him to put at risk. Plus he was still young, young with no parents to fall back on, no education, no real family, and a son to take care of, society believed he brought this all on himself and wouldn't help him. And he knew they were right so he didn't want to fight them against their decisions.

They talked until Sean came home to see them both crying in the kitchen. Not needing an explanation and knowing nothing was wrong he said hello to them both and went to the bedroom to change. He was glad they finally talked; they knew it wasn't about each other but they were close and answers were needed. Tamaki had told him of all that had gone on these past years as well as past few days and he knew he had to tell Sara. He understood his fears over telling her but he also knew they were very close and their friendship wouldn't come to an end once everything was out in the open. Changing he came out of their room to see Sara up and starting dinner and Tamaki wanting to help but being denied in doing so. Seeing that he went to check and grab Abby before going out back to play with the boys before they all helped with dinner.

Almost a week after he came to stay with Sean and Sara, Tamaki was finally allowed to go apartment hunting. He knew he couldn't leave Sara's until his ribs were healed. They didn't have to be completely healed but to the point where he didn't wince every time he moved. He had a few weeks before that happened but that gave him a chance to look for places so once he allowed to he could move in. Sean, not wanting him to go alone for multiple reasons volunteered to go with him while Sara stayed at the house and watched the boys. Tamaki was thrilled to see René getting back to his old self as well. While he didn't mind him being clingy he knew it wasn't healthy for him. Though after school he would help him with his homework and they would spend the night together with everyone before he tucked him in, told him a story and watched him fall asleep.  
>"Ready to head out Tamaki?"<br>"Let's do this."  
>"Bye Daddy. Find a good place, see you later."<br>"Bye René and be good for Aunt Sara."  
>Laughing at what his dad always told him they hugged before Tamaki walked out and he went to play with Michael.<p>

He was surprised to see so many apartments that he could afford not anywhere near his current place.  
>"I don't know if you want a one bedroom or not but if so then I want to show you this one complex. Sara and I had looked into it when we apartment hunted way back when."<br>"One is cheaper for me. And René is still at that age where he doesn't mind sharing a room with me so for now I'll do it."  
>Walking in he noticed it was a nice place. The area was safe and far enough away from where his old contacts would have trouble finding him. It was in his price range too which was a nice plus. He was definitely going to think about it. There were a few more he had made appointments to see so he wasn't going to rush this. Hanging out with Sean for part of the day was nice. He hadn't hung out with another guy in so long he forgot what it was like. They talked about being parents, growing up in France, and things in general. The best part was Sean wasn't as intrusive as Sara was, you could tell him as much or as little as you wanted with no worries about him taking offense to it. They both knew they had enjoyed hanging out with each other which helped them feel good too. It would have sucked if it had all been an act.<p>

When they got back to the house Tamaki had a few choices to think about. He really liked the one he first saw with Sean and was close to the school meaning René wouldn't have to transfer. That was one big factor in choosing a place; he didn't want him to have to change schools. René and Michael were best friends he didn't want them to lose that. He knew what it was like to have a best friend, how important that was and he wanted that for his son.  
>"So daddy do we have a place?" Coming inside with Michael before he got cleaned up to help with dinner he ran over to him happy he was back.<br>"Maybe, I have to look over a few things. If I chose the one you'll be much closer to Michael and the school."  
>"Yay!" Moving away he went into the bathroom with Sara and Michael to get cleaned up. Tamaki went to follow and to help so Sara wouldn't feel alone. The boys were a storm when they cleaned up; he hated making her deal with it by herself. She probably wouldn't let him clean up any mess they made but he liked to at least offer.<p>

0o0o0o0o0o

So I hate typing and because of that this took an extra day to get up. But here it is and I shall start the next chapter soon. Please review and leave thoughts and ideas. Love you.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

René ran around the new apartment trying to unpack as much as he could. Tamaki was thrilled to see René excited to move in. Knowing he was much closer to Michael was probably helping a lot but it did work in his favor so whatever the reason was he accepted. Watching René try to move the dresser Tamaki put down the box of clothes he was holding and went to help him before he hurt himself. He was excited too about this move, it seemed like a fresh start for him, now he could completely rid himself of his horrible past. While he would not or could not forgive himself for what he had done he was able to get on with life. Never again would he sell himself, no private clients, no houses, no being treated like an object. He would never enter into a relationship, not out of fear over what happened but he knew in his heart he still loved Kyouya. And so long as he loved him he could never truly love another.

Tamaki got home from work and from picking up René at Sara's and crashed on the loveseat to put his feet up. For some reason he was tired from working both jobs and while he usually always was he was never this bad.  
>"Are you okay daddy?" René came from putting his backpack down in the bedroom to see Tamaki resting. This was rare, usually he changed and cooked them dinner first before stretching out.<br>"Yes, just had a long day. Give me a minute to rest and I'll start dinner."  
>"We can order in. So you don't have to cook." Going to the kitchen he started to open one of the drawers with the take out menus.<br>"It's okay René, don't worry about it."  
>"Oh, okay daddy." Closing the drawer he went into the living room to watch him relax and help him if he asked for it. Tamaki didn't mind the thought of take out but he didn't have the money. He never realized how much the money Brandon gave him when they got together helped. Between gas, electric, phone, water, food, rent, and soon heat as the weather outside dropped his pay checks were just making it. If anything increased even a little he would be in an even tighter spot. Maybe that's why he was so tired today, he was worrying about the finances again. With how things looked right now they wouldn't be able to have a Christmas. He still had a few months to see if he couldn't make it work somehow but still just the thought made him want to cry. René was still young, he was six, six years old loved Christmas and Santa, and he couldn't ruin that for him.<br>"Daddy, are you okay?" Seeing his eyes start to tear up René moved closer to him from his spot on the floor. Hearing him Tamaki came back to reality and dried his eyes seeing they were misty.  
>"What? Yea I'm fine, how about some dinner? I'm getting really hungry." Sitting up he stood up to go into the kitchen and start dinner, René got up to help him somehow.<p>

Tamaki sat at the kitchen table trying not to cry over how crappy things looked right now. He thought he was passed this, this barely getting by way of living. When was it going to end? Bills were scattered across the table with late notices and money neatly stacked near them so he could see what he could pay and how much he would have left if he did. René came out of the bedroom dressed for bed and stopped in the kitchen doorway as he saw Tamaki drop his head on the table. Seeing his dad like this made him worry and become sad that he didn't know what was wrong or how to help him.  
>"Daddy, I'm ready for bed." At René's voice he snapped up and turned to him hoping he didn't see how frayed his nerves were over everything.<br>"That was fast, okay; let's get you to bed then. We want you fully rested for school tomorrow." Standing, he followed René into the bedroom to tuck him in for the night. Sitting beside him he watched as his son shut his eyes only to have them reopen a second later and he sat up.  
>"Everything alright? Want me to read you a story?"<br>"Daddy, where's mommy? How come she isn't here to help you?" Tamaki was frozen where he was. He knew this day was coming, that it was only a matter of time but he still wasn't ready for it.  
>"I have a mommy right? So then how come she is never here?"<br>"Of course you have a mom, everybody does." He wanted to tell him the truth, that he was really his mom and he left his father to protect them both but deep down he couldn't. The words were last before they even came close to escaping. "You have a mom and they love you, they love you so much. But, due to certain things we are all prevented from being together."  
>"What things?"<br>"Things you are too young to know and understand. I promise I'll tell you everything once you're older. Now come on lie down so you can get some sleep. Do you want a story?"  
>"No daddy it's okay."<br>"Alright then, good night, see you in the morning."  
>"Good night daddy. I love you."<br>"I love you too." Kissing him goodnight he stood up to turn the light out and leave the room. He still had much to do before he went to bed. He couldn't let René see how worried he was or how tough things would be. Something told him the only reason he asked about Kyouya was because he personally was so stressed out. God, if only René knew the truth, how he would hate him. He would hate him knowing his mother worked three jobs just to make ends meet while his father worked one probably and lived in mansions with maids and cooks. That's really what René deserved, to be taken care of properly and not watch him struggle to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. That reminded him; he really needed to go food shopping he had been putting it off for weeks now. Collapsing into the kitchen chair he cried into his hands.

Once René was dropped off at school Tamaki talked to Sara for a quick second before he ran to work. Keeping his hands in his pockets he tried to not let her see how much he hated asking her this.  
>"Would it be alright if René stayed a little later? I was asked to stay at the store an extra couple of hours since my replacement called out. If you can't that's fine.'<br>"Sure, I don't mind. I can hold dinner until you're out of work then we can all eat together. That is something we haven't done in months."  
>"Thank you but I couldn't. That would be so late and that's not fair to your family."<br>"Then whatever I make I'll have René bring home for you how about that?"  
>"You don't have to." There was no talking her out of it and he had to leave for work. The last thing he needed right now was to get fired. But he did what he had to; René would be able to eat. The house was practically empty and he really didn't have the money to buy groceries. He was skipping breakfast so René could eat and knowing the restaurant provided him with lunch he wouldn't starve like when René was a baby. Still, he would have to come up with something because he couldn't let René stay over for dinner every night and he hated coming up with lies for Sara.<p>

A few days later Tamaki was dragged into Sara's house by René when he went to pick him up. This was strange he had never done this before.  
>"Hello Tamaki sit, relax, eat and enjoy." He was led into the kitchen where Sara was setting food down for all of them. He could tell this was planned since there was a place set for him. Sitting at the table he tried to figure out what he was going on, it wasn't a holiday and it wasn't someone's birthday. There was no way she knew his place had no food was it, René was too young to really know the truth, well at least he hoped so.<br>"I realized that's it's been months since we all got together like this so I decided to change that. I think the last time was when you were staying with us."  
>"Has it been that long already?" He figured René had something to do with this since he noticed she looked at him when she said it. Overall though it was nice to all eat together. It had been awhile and everyone was so close that they all enjoyed the time together.<p>

Before they headed out for the night Tamaki was pulled aside. He knew she thought something was up and him staying over for dinner wasn't just because they hadn't done that in awhile.  
>"You're probably going to say I'm wrong or it's nothing but I just wanted to let you know that René is worried about you. He told me you've been worried about something. That's why he wanted you to stay for dinner, in hopes that you could relax for a little while. Is everything alright?"<br>"That boy is too smart for his own good it makes me crazy. Everything is fine, just a little bumpy while I transition from not having the extra money that I did before. I'll talk to him before he thinks something is seriously wrong."  
>"Alright Tamaki. Let me know if money is tight for you okay. I'm sure we can work something out so you boys don't starve."<br>"Trust me it's not that bad." Close but they weren't there yet. With that settled though he grabbed René and headed home. He would have to be careful though so René didn't worry about him too much.

Back home he helped him finish his homework before getting him washed up and ready for bed. It was too early for him to go to bed but then it was done for the night. Sitting on the couch he flipped through the TV channels looking for something they could watch together. René joined him a few minutes later all dressed in his pajamas and sat beside him. Muting the TV he turned to face René who looked confused by what his dad just did.  
>"I'm sorry if I have been worrying you. You should have told me. But, I want you to know that everything is fine."<br>"But, then how come you sit at the table every night with all that paper? And you say things in your sleep?"  
>"Have I? I'm sorry; I guess I've been dreaming. As for all the paper. I'm paying bills, something you don't have to worry about for many years. But bills are horrible and a pain but nothing is wrong."<br>"Okay, are you mad that Aunt Sara had us stay? You work so hard I wanted you to take it easy for a night and not cook."  
>"Of course I'm not mad. And thank you for thinking of me."<br>"It's just you and me right daddy, we have to take care of each other."  
>"You're right and I'll take it easy I promise. No need to worry." Wrapping his arms around him he pulled him closer. When they separated René snuggled close while they watched TV before he had to go to bed.<p>

René could tell something was wrong and that his father was lying about everything being okay. He didn't know what was wrong though and how he could help him. He didn't want to upset him or bother him though knowing he worked hard all day every day. He was smart he could do things to stay out of his way and let him relax.  
>"Daddy, aren't you going to eat too?"<br>"No, I had a big lunch so I'm not that hungry. Hey René do you mind playing by yourself for a little bit? I had a long day and need to lie down for a few minutes. Give me an hour or so and we can do something before you get ready for bed. Just put your dishes in the sink, I'll take care of them later."  
>"Sure daddy."<br>"Thanks kiddo." Leaving him to eat he went into their bedroom to lie down. He didn't have much of an appetite all day knowing how strapped for cash they were. Besides even if he was hungry he couldn't eat since there wasn't enough for both of them. René finished eating and put his plate in the sink as he was told before he went into the living room to watch TV. Lying in front he reached over to turn it on before he moved back so he wasn't so close. Seeing the screen was dark he moved closer and hit the button again. Noticing the little power light didn't go on he checked behind it to see if it somehow got unplugged. Not having that be the problem he stood up and went to tell his father. Opening the bedroom door he stopped in a little, "Daddy the T…" His voice trailed off hearing something odd coming from inside the room. Listening closer he noticed it sounded like crying, he had never seen his dad cry before. Tamaki didn't even know he was there as he was face first in his pillow crying. Not sure what to do he slowly backed up and closed the door to let his dad be. Tamaki clutched his pillow tighter in his hands as tears poured from his eyes.  
>"Kyouya, what do I do? How do I make this work?"<p>

René, wanting to help his dad out as much as possible did all he could to make sure he had less to do. Pushing a kitchen chair to the sink he climbed on top to wash the few dishes in it. He watched his dad do them a bunch of times so they didn't seem too hard to do. He scrubbed as hard as he could until they looked clean before rinsing them off. Putting them on the rack next to the sink he stepped off the chair and slipped on the floor. Crying out in pain he stood up to see a puddle from where the water splashed. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom he wiped it up and tried to hang it up as best as he could so it could dry on the oven next to the one they used for their hands. Going into his backpack he pulled out the book they were reading in class. He liked to read and though the sun was setting he knew they had flash lights so he could read without the light on. He wasn't sure why but they didn't seem to be working either.

René didn't want to bother his dad but he really hoped he would come out of the bedroom soon. He didn't like being alone in the dark. Every little sound scared him and made him jump. He had checked the door already into the apartment to make sure it was locked. Moving to the loveseat he wrapped the blanket his dad always kept there around him. He didn't want to be alone in the dark anymore but he wanted to give his dad as much space as he needed. Hearing something in the apartment he tightened the blanket around him.  
>"René? Hey where are you? Why is it so dark?"<br>"Daddy? I'm in the living room, none of the lights work."  
>"What?...Oh yea…that's right, I knew that." Going into the living room René heard his dad hit something before making it too him. Moving closer to him he allowed his body to relax again now knowing he was safe. "René, I'm sorry, have you been like this long? You should have gotten me. I know you hate being in the dark."<br>"Its okay, you needed rest. Do you feel better?"  
>"Yea…" Tightening his grip around René he pulled him closer. He felt terrible that they had no power and he left René in the dark. He had been so wrapped up in himself that he forgot he was afraid of it. "Don't we have flashlights? You could have used one and that will help for now."<br>"I found one but the batteries don't work."  
>"Of course they don't. Why should they. I'll try to pick some up tomorrow."<br>"Will we have no power for awhile?"  
>"I think so. At least until I get paid again."<br>"Okay." Moving closer he hoped his dad knew that they would be okay. He didn't want him to worry about him, or overworking himself to fix whatever the problem was with their power.

Since it was too dark to really do anything they turned in early for the night and Tamaki was grateful his alarm clock had battery backup that thankfully worked. It was early though when it went off, earlier then they usually got up which helped since he wanted to shower and to have René take a bath while the apartment had sun shining in.  
>"Want to take a Japanese bath?" Tamaki also needed something before he wallowed in despair over his inability to properly provide for his son. Seeing they had no hot water since apparently that was attached to the electric he tried to figure out how they would live until he could pay the bill.<br>"Sure! And daddy why do I know both French and Japanese?"  
>"Because you're French and Japanese. I speak both fluently and it's good to know both I feel. Plus, its' something we have that ours. I can talk to you in Japanese and most people won't know what we are saying. But, that doesn't mean you talk behind other peoples back with it or insult people with it. Language is a very powerful tool and I want you to have that to use. I am also a very firm believer in culture and knowing your heritage so I wanted to pass that on to you."<br>"Okay. So how does this bath work?" He watched Tamaki find matches to light the stove so he could fill their pots with water. After getting the tub filled Tamaki show René what to do only to stop as he noticed a nasty bruise on his arm.  
>"Hold on, René where did you get this?" Taking a closer look he tried not to hurt him but he wanted to make sure was alright. He didn't remember him saying anything about it yesterday and he didn't think he hit anything last night while they tried to navigate in the dark.<br>"Oh…I did the dishes for you, so you could rest longer last night. I made a small mess with the water and when I went to get off the chair to clean it up I slipped and fell on it and hit my arm. I'm okay daddy don't worry."  
>"You should have told me last night that you fell. I am glad you're alright but please try to be careful okay. I don't want to see you seriously hurt yourself."<br>"I'm sorry daddy. Are you mad that I did them and not tell you, did I do something wrong?"  
>Looking at the worry in his son's eyes that he was upset with him he could feel his eyes becoming misty again. Wrapping his arms around René he hugged him tight. No words were strong enough to fully explain what he felt towards his son.<br>"Of course I am not mad at you. Thank you for trying to help me last night it means a lot to me. I am just glad you didn't get seriously hurt. Slipping on water, especially on these floors can really hurt."  
>"I will daddy. Can you let me go, you're hurting my arm." Pulling away they both looked at each other and smiled before Tamaki went back to helping him.<p>

Tamaki excitingly opened the door to his apartment knowing they had power again. They had been without for over a week since he had to pay a late fee that he forgot about when he went to pay the bill the other day. It was a good thing the fridge was empty, nothing could spoil from it not running.  
>"Daddy, why is it so cold in here?" René walked in behind him from the cold and snowy weather to realize he didn't feel heat.<br>"I may have turned it off when we left for the day. Hold on." Going to the thermostat he saw it was lit but wouldn't turn on.  
>"Give me a break. I know I paid this to avoid something like this happening."<br>"Daddy? Is it broken?"  
>"Maybe. Keep your coat on. I don't want you to get cold while I try to see what's up." Grabbing the phone from the kitchen he dug out the paid bill and called the heating company. René sat at the table with him to see what was wrong while he pulled out his school books to finish some homework.<br>"What do you mean I didn't pay? I gave you the money two weeks before it was due. Yes, thank you." Rubbing his forehead he tried to get René to see that everything was fine. "Yes, okay, around when? I'll inform my landlord then. Thank you." Hanging up he slouched back in his chair. Knowing René was curious as to what was going on he sat back up.  
>"Our control panel may be faulty. Someone can come tomorrow at the earliest."<br>"What does faulty mean?"  
>"It means broken. In other words we have no heat until they come to fix it. Sorry."<br>"Can I put another sweater on then so I don't have to stay in my coat?"  
>"Yea go ahead. I'll make us some hot dinner while you do that."<p>

The apartment freezing was terrible, it seemed that no matter how many blankets they wrapped around each other or cups of hot chocolate they had they couldn't warm up. A hot bath worked but only until they left the room and Tamaki had them stay in there awhile so their wet hair wouldn't give them a cold from all of this.  
>"René, I want you to sleep with me tonight to help keep you warm." He dug out all the blankets he could find to put them on the bed for the night. Why did he have to have the world's shittest luck?<br>"Okay Daddy. Give me one." Taking a blanket from him he brought it into the bedroom, at least having power helped with finding things to stay warm. Climbing into bed first he had René join him and helped keep him wrapped up while he kept him close to his body.  
>"The covers are cold."<br>"I know, give it a minute." Pulling him closer he made sure he wasn't shivering. The last thing he needed was for René to get sick from the cold and walking home in this weather.  
>"If I had known we wouldn't have heat I would have told Aunt Sara and seen if you couldn't spend the night with them."<br>"Its okay Daddy and I like being home. So you wouldn't have been cold with no one to warm you and keep you company."  
>"Thanks René."<p>

Hearing it was the box made Tamaki happy; the box wouldn't cost him anything since he paid for any repairs as part of his heating plan. But, hearing it would take two days for a new one because of the major snowstorm and terrible road conditions made him upset. Since school had been closed due to the weather René was spending the days with Michael since Tamaki still had to go into work. From this though he did mention about not having heat and Sara had them stay as many nights until they did. He knew he should have asked her that first night but he had just come from here and it was only for the one day or so he thought at the time so they were fine. Arriving at her place after work already checking and knowing they had no heat he was let in and changed out of his uniform. He felt bad that she would hold dinner for him but it was nice to eat and eat with everyone. Heading towards Michael's room a little later to get René and get him ready for bed he felt someone grab his arm. Looking over his shoulder he saw Sara. This couldn't be good. He loved her to death but when she wanted to talk privately that meant she was worried about something involving him.  
>"I know it's still a month away but I wanted to know what your plans for Christmas are. You know you're more than welcome to come here for dinner as you have in the past."<br>"Thanks, I'm sure I'll accept the invite. I haven't given much thought to it yet. Things have been a little crazy."  
>"Well let me know whenever." With that she walked away to see Abby come walking down the hall with Sean behind her. Christmas, he really didn't want to think about it. But he needed to decide soon if he could do it or not so he could tell René. <em>That, <em>was something he wasn't looking forward to at all.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I need to type faster this should have been up yesterday. I want to start the next chapter but all hell kinda broke loose here today so I am not sure. Happy 4th to everyone though and talk to you all soon.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

**Disclaimer- **I own nothing!

Tamaki needed a way to gently ruin his son's childhood. He didn't want to, oh how he didn't want to but he couldn't figure out how to give René a Christmas of any kind and not fall short on something. The whole thing wasn't helping since René was bringing home school projects about the holiday season along with the ads on the television for it.  
>"Hey René, can I talk to you?" Going into the living room he saw René playing on the floor with some action figures Sara got him for his birthday.<br>"Sure Daddy." Jumping up he went into the kitchen to sit at the table with him.  
>"Daddy, when are we going to put the tree up?"<br>"The what? Oh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." God how did he do this? Seeing the excitement on his face made this so difficult.  
>"Daddy?" René waited patiently to hear what his dad wanted to tell him. He looked upset over things, Christmas was at the end of the month, he hoped the day off would make him feel better and not worry about things for once.<br>"This Christmas…I…I'm not…I don't think…"  
>"Daddy? You're not working right?"<br>"Huh? Oh, I don't think so. The stores are closed. The restaurant is open but I don't usually work the weekends. It's something else….I wanted to know if you remembered what box the tree is in?" He couldn't do it; he had to give René a Christmas of some sort. It probably wouldn't be as full as years past but it would still be something.  
>"The tree is in the basement in the big box."<br>"That's right and here I was thinking I lost it somehow. Well with that settled how would you like to do something? I'm bored, TV is horrible and if I relax I will fall asleep. We can put the tree up this weekend once I'm home from work."  
>"Okay! Can we play cards? Today I learned go-fish."<br>"Sounds like a plan." With that decision made he pushed his worries behind him and stood to get the cards so they could play.

Tamaki stood carefully from the living room floor with the sleeping René in his arms. They played card games for hours until René decided to stretch along the carpet and ended up falling asleep shortly after. Bringing him into the bedroom he placed him gently on the bed before trying to tuck him in for the night. Luckily René was a heavy sleeper and didn't wake while he tried to get the covers out from under him. Seeing such an innocent smile, one from being a dreaming child he knew he could never make it fade. That smile, those dreams would live on no matter what, no matter how hard things became. He could figure it all out, make it all work, he had before. He had been struggling for years he knew all about hardships. Even when he was with Brandon, sure he had a little extra money and less worries because of it but he still struggled to hide the truth from René. To make sure he didn't learn the reason of why he saw Brandon. Sitting beside him in bed he watched him sleep, gently moving his beautiful black hair, hair like his father's, he renewed his vow to him to allow him to keep his childhood, to keep him unaware of the hardships they faced. He silently asked him to not lose faith in him.

With René's help after he got home from work on Saturday they got the tree up from the basement. While he tried to assemble it René ran back down to find the box of decorations.  
>"Here daddy!" Turning he saw René dragging the box as best he could.<br>"You could have told me you needed a hand. Did you have trouble with the stairs?" Going to help him they brought it into the living room to go through it. Together they decorated the tree and made sure the lights worked, René finally let him see one of the projects he made in school. They had made ornaments, hand painted plastic balls for the tree. Taking a closer look he noticed René wrote the Japanese characters for family on the bottom.  
>"Did I do it right Daddy? The teacher wanted us to write what the holiday meant to us. And it's the day we get to spend together because you don't have to work and get to be home. And I wanted it in Japanese since it's ours. The teacher was concerned because she didn't know what it meant but I told her and she didn't seem as upset."<br>"Hey, come here." Bringing him close he wrapped his arms around him to hug him tightly. "You did it perfectly and I'm sorry I work so much. I hate leaving you at Aunt Sara's all the time."  
>"It's okay daddy. I know you have to so we can stay a family."<br>Crouching down in front of him he looked into his eyes, eyes that mirrored his own.  
>"You're an amazing son you know that. I am so proud of how big your heart is. I know there are things that you deserve that I can't provide but know you're the reason I fight so hard to prove I can do this. That being a single parent doesn't mean I can't do the things a complete family can. I want to give you the world René and I'm sure I can do it so long as we stick together and you continue to believe in me."<br>"Always Daddy. You can do anything. I know you can." They looked at the identical smiles on their faces for a moment before Tamaki remembered they were in the middle of something and got back to it. Lifting René up he helped him put his ornament on the tree along with the tree topper. It was unbelievable that his son was getting so big, that lifting up like this was harder than it was on year or two ago. He was glad René was proud of what he made, he should be, it was beautiful and full of love.

Christmas morning Tamaki rolled over enjoying the feeling of knowing he could sleep in and not worry about work. Moving the covers tighter around him he sank deeper into the peaceful sleep he was in, loving being wrapped in the covers warmth. He started moaning as he felt the bed move and weight on top of him.  
>"Daddy, come on get up."<br>Opening an eye he saw René leaning over him trying to wake him up.  
>"It's Christmas! Come one get up!"<br>"René, what time is it?" Rolling over he felt René fall on him, that wasn't something he wanted or needed.  
>"Ummm." Closing his eyes he listened to him trying to figure out the time. "Seven-thirty!" Opening his eyes again he moved his head to see if he was right. So much for sleeping in. "Give me a half hour. Then I'll get up."<br>"How long is that?"  
>"When the clock reads eight a half hour will have passed."<br>"But that is so far away." René whined as Tamaki rolled over to try and fall back asleep but quickly learned he was not going to make this easy.  
>"Fine, you win. I'm up."<br>"Yay!" Sitting up on his knees he celebrated while Tamaki tried to get himself together.

Stepping out of the bedroom he went into the kitchen happy to have set up the coffee pot for this morning so it would already be made by the time he got up. He could tell René was going to explode while he tried to wait for him to go to the living room. Sitting he gave René the okay to search for one he wanted to open first. Watching his son's face gave him one the greatest feelings in the world. This was why he had to give him a Christmas.  
>"Freeze a second I want more coffee."<br>"Okay!" Seeing his dad get up René went under the tree to pull out something he hid there the other day. Keeping it behind his back he waited for him to sit back down.  
>"Here daddy this is yours!" Lowering his coffee mug he saw René holding something out for him.<br>"For me? Thank you." Taking it from him he wondered what it could be. To save money he got nothing for himself. Plus he didn't need anything to have a good day. Staying near Tamaki's feet René waited for him to open it and see what he thought. Opening the wrapping paper Tamaki wasn't sure if he was crying or not as he was in too much awe to tell.  
>"Do you like it? We made them in school."<br>"I do, thank you, come here." Having him sit next to him he hugged him tightly for the beautiful gift.  
>"You guys made the frame too?"<br>"No, they were pre-made but we got to decorate the frame however we wanted so I used craft sticks to make the roof and then painted it with the colors close to the color in the photo."  
>"Well it's beautiful. Is this the picture Aunt Sara took?"<br>"Yep! We needed to bring in a family photo and this is the only one I found." Sara had taken a picture of the two of them right before they moved here while they were still staying with her. She wanted to capture the happiness he and René shared even during a dark time. Not to mention she couldn't believe he never made a baby album covering René's first few years. Standing over René, his chin rested on his head while his arms draped over him to hold him close. He had really liked this picture when it was taken. It was clear to all that saw it that they loved each other. Beautiful matching smiles on mother and son's faces showed the world they were happy.  
>"You really like it Daddy?"<br>"I do. You did a wonderful job and it means a lot to me for you to give me something so special." Staring at the photo he couldn't get over how wonderful it truly was. And René put a lot of time and care it making it so special.

With the mayhem of the morning quieting down Tamaki got up to start breakfast. He wanted to do something special, one because he had the time too and two because it was a holiday. He was shocked though when René started helping him. He had picked something to open and play with but he came into the kitchen to help. It was nice to talk and play around for once in the morning instead of rushing around to get ready for work and school.  
>"Is it done Daddy?"<br>"Just about, step back so I can open the oven."  
>Both mouths were watering as Tamaki opened the oven door. It smelt fantastic. Bringing the breakfast casserole to the table they sat down to eat. Tamaki was thrilled it came out so well he had never made it before. He learned the recipe from work and had wanted to try it for awhile now.<p>

Around three both got ready to head over to Sara's for dinner. René "couldn't wait to tell Michael about the awesome stuff" he got which brought a smile to Tamaki's face.  
>"Merry Christmas you guys!" Sara opened the door and let them in happy they showed up. She didn't think they wouldn't come but you never knew if something would come up that would prevent them.<br>"Merry Christmas Aunt Sara! Where's Michael?"  
>"René!" Michael ran over to them at the door before Sara could get the words out and ran off with René to show him his presents.<br>"Dinner is just about ready. Sean is in the kitchen." Saying hello to both Sean and Abby he tried to help Sara get things ready so they could all eat. They swapped stories about how and when they woke up this morning. Tamaki was glad René hadn't been hard to get to bed last night and hadn't woken up at four this morning. He complained about seven-thirty but at least that was a decent hour and René hadn't jumped on the bed to wake him. He needed to remember to thank him.  
>"That boy has too much energy for his own good. I swear Sean was going to tie him to the bed if he hadn't settled back down."<br>"I love my son, I love his excitement but I at least want the sun up or starting to rise before I have to get out of bed when not in an emergency."  
>"I can understand that. I never was like that growing up though, I would stay up all night if I was excited about something but now that's changed. Once I'm in bed I don't want to get up until I absolutely have to. I am grateful René didn't pick up my old sleep habits I know that much."<br>It was nice to talk to the others and really enjoy the day while René was playing with Michael. He had been so worried about how the day would turn out for his son he hadn't relaxed much until morning. Actually he had been so worried about a lot of things feeling so relaxed felt strange now.  
>"Sara, that smells fantastic."<br>"Thanks, can you help me finish this dish. I know you're my guest but I seem to have run out of hands and I need to get the ham out so it can start to cool."  
>"No it's fine, happy to help. I feel weird doing nothing." Going besides her he lent her a hand so she could do what she had too. And it wasn't like he didn't know how to help.<br>"Good or more?"  
>"Perfect. Let me stick it back in the over so it can melt and we'll be all good to go."<br>"I'll do it Sara no big deal."  
>"I'll get the boys then." Sara half rolled her eyes at Sean when he got up to get them.<br>"I love that man dearly but he needs to be more useful in the kitchen. So did René show you what they made at school?"  
>"He did, he was so excited to see my reaction and he did a great job on it too. He really is something else."<br>"Michael was the same way and after seeing the picture I must say I had to forgive him for tearing my house apart to look for one with the four of us."  
>Both started laughing until they heard the boys come in to sit at the table. Sean walked back in with Abby still in his arms so he could get her settled in the high chair.<br>"Hun, red or white?"  
>Sara looked up from seeing how everything in the oven was doing to realize Sean was talking to her.<br>"Red is fine. Tamaki you drink red wine right, or is it white?"  
>"Either is fine." He had never drank much of either, just a glass during holidays when he was back in Japan, or only at special occasions since he had been underage.<p>

Sitting down they all had a nice meal together. This was what Tamaki really enjoyed, spending the day with everyone. He would have been fine with just spending it with René as well but Sean and Sara were practically family to him as well and he loved sitting down to a meal with everyone. It was something he never really got to do growing up since his parents didn't live together and his father was expected to spend certain holidays in Japan with his family leaving Tamaki and his mother to spend it with each other and the hired help. It was nice but it wasn't the same. This was something he would cherish forever and he hoped René would do the same.

Getting home for the night René ran into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Tamaki snuck in to do the same. Changing into his sleep pants he crashed onto his bed feeling how exhausted he really was. Flinching he moved his arm so René could lay on top of him better.  
>"Have a good day?"<br>"Yep!"  
>"Good. I'm really glad to hear that."<br>Keeping his arm around René to hold him better they laid together as they were for a little while. It seemed strange that René wasn't running around wanting to play something before bed but then again he probably tired himself out from the excitement of the day.  
>"Do you have to work tomorrow?"<br>"I do, sorry. Why, was there something you wanted to do?"  
>"No, not really. I just like it when you're home all day."<br>"I'm sorry. I like being home all day too."  
>"Daddy?"<br>"Yea?"  
>"Can I spend the night with you?"<br>"Sure."  
>They stayed as they were a little longer before Tamaki got up to get things ready for tomorrow for himself. He watched as René moped into the kitchen. He really hated seeing him like this. He knew René understood why he worked so much and how he felt bad that he had to go to Sara's everyday but he still hated seeing him so down.<br>"Hey René, I found this bag of marshmallows in the cabinet. What should I do with them?"  
>"Put them in hot cocoa!"<br>"Want to help?"  
>"Okay!"<br>Seeing his son's smile back on his face he helped him sit on the counter to help him measure out the ingredients.

It was slightly earlier than he normally went to bed but he found his eyes struggling to stay open while he tucked René in for the night. Feeling him snuggle up against him he wished he could apologize to him. Apologize for not being home as much as he would like or not being able to afford all the things an amazing kid like René deserved. The only thing that really kept him going was knowing how much René loved him. Seeing the love and admiration for him in that boy's eyes stopped him from becoming depressed over how tough life was for them. He figured things would never really get easier though since he learned he needed three jobs at least to support them which meant no finishing high school and getting a college degree. If he hadn't had René he would be close to finishing school right now, he would only need another semester or two maybe, before he had a diploma, the way others he had known probably were. But, even so he wouldn't give René up for the world and he hoped the tight relationship they held never weakened. For if it did it would be a sad day for him.

"René, get up now or I'm going too late for work and _yes_, you have you to go to school!" Tamaki pulled back the covers in hopes to get René up. He didn't know what it was but René was becoming difficult to wake up and get to school this year. He was only in the third grade; he was too young to not like school. Not to mention he loved first and second grade, he had no idea why he wouldn't like this one.  
>"Up René, come on or you won't have time to eat. And I can't afford to be late."<br>"I'm up, I'm up."Rolling out of bed he stood up and walked out of the bedroom to eat and brush his teeth.  
>"When I get home I'll help you with your homework, you have that vocb test tomorrow right?"<br>"Yea."  
>"Is everything alright René, you feeling okay?"<br>"Yea." Finishing his cereal he put his bowl in the sink and went into the bathroom. Tamaki watched him worried and hoping he was alright. He would have him stay home and call out from work to be with him but he needed the hours. His afternoon job cut back hours so he had to work longer hours at the restaurant since he couldn't pick up longer shifts at the other store since it was on the weekend and he couldn't ask Sara and Sean to watch René all day since the weekends were usually Sean's only days off. And with the hours he lost he found it harder to pay bills as it was. Rent was coming up; he couldn't fall short on that. He didn't want to move René again. This place was pretty cheap, one of the cheapest he knew of. If he lost this place he couldn't guarantee finding another one to replace it. Hearing him come out of the bathroom he saw him go into the bedroom to get dressed. A few minutes later he walked out ready to go. Making sure he had everything Tamaki followed him out the front door.

"Bye René have a good day alright."  
>"I will, you too dad." Giving him a quick hug they parted ways for the day so Tamaki could run to work. As much as he didn't enjoy the thought he had to push his worry from this morning towards the back of his mind. His boss already threatened to fire him if he was late, again. Though, he wasn't late all that often. But he couldn't take the threat lightly for if he did lose this job then they would end up the streets for sure.<br>"Morning Tamaki."  
>"Morning Aimée."<br>"Your set up for table ten to fifteen."  
>"Okay thanks."<br>"Oh, Ted may not be able to come in, could you cover his tables as well if he doesn't?"  
>"Sure, more money in my pocket."<br>Tying his apron around his waist he grabbed the pad to take orders on and got to work. It didn't seem too busy here, the normal morning business on a workday, nothing new. That was good, covering more tables when it was crazy led to errors and errors could get dangerous if the boss caught wind of constant screw ups.

Free to leave for the day he headed to Sara's to get René so they could go home. Normally he never stayed as long as he did today at the restaurant but since he had been offered the hours he took them. Now all he wanted though was dinner and a hot shower before going to bed, too bad he had to do things at the house before he could sleep. Knocking at Sara's door he was surprised by the look on her face when he opened it.  
>"Hello Tamaki. Surprised to see you here."<br>"Huh? I'm always here on Wednesdays."  
>"You told me you got out at three and weren't working the other job as much anymore."<br>"What? Oh god!" It hit him that he had told Sara about the hour cut back and would pick René up from school on the days he didn't work the second job and couldn't get more hours from the resturant. He told her not to worry about René today knowing he got out at three, it hadn't dawned him to not take the extra hours when they were offered since he hadn't asked Sara to get René.  
>"Tamaki?"<br>"René! Oh God! I completely forgot…I need to get him he is probably still waiting for me!" Running from her house he heard her yell to call if he wasn't there and she would help find him. He ran as fast as he could to the school praying he was still there and unharmed. Arriving at the school he saw René bunched up on the school steps.  
>"René! René I am so sorry I'm so late! Are you alright?"<br>Not saying a word he picked up his backpack and started to walk in front of Tamaki to go home.  
>"René, wait, let me talk to you. I feel awful that you waited so long for me."<br>"You forgot about me, didn't you dad?"  
>"No! Of course not! I forgot that I told Sara I would pick you up and took an extra shift that ended past three. I had gone to Sara's to pick you up when it dawned on me what I did. Let me make it up to you somehow. I need to not be such a scatterbrain."<br>René didn't say anything else while they walked home but Tamaki noticed he kept wiping his eyes hoping not to cry. He really messed up here. Breaking away from him every time he tried to stop him so they could talk he promised they would once they were home. Everything else could wait for now, he had to get René to talk to him again, like he used to. He was eight they shouldn't be having communication problems already. That was something he never wanted with his son, ever. 

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Glad to see people reading and enjoying. Let me know what you think and I am starting the next chapter tonight. Love you all.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

Forcing René to put his bag down in the living room he had him sit in the kitchen so they could talk. He wanted René to understand that he felt terrible and wouldn't have worked late had he not forgotten.  
>"Can I have a spare key to the apartment?"<br>"You're too young to stay here alone so no. Now sit so we can talk." Doing as he was told he looked at his hands.  
>"First I want you to know and understand how sorry I am. I would never intentionally leave you somewhere or forget to pick you up. I kept thinking Sara was watching you and that's why I worked later. But know I am going to make sure it never happens again."<br>Turning to look away from Tamaki he mumbled under his breath, "Yes it will."  
>"What was that?" Moving closer he tried to hear what he said.<br>"I said where's my mom? You told me things stopped us from being all together but how come they never contact us or anything? Why did they have to leave you to take care of me alone? You work three jobs to support us and I know you still have a hard time paying the bills. Dad, I, I worry about you getting sick and leaving me. I can't help with money but I want to help you not worry so much. I don't want you to worry about me."  
>"René…" Tamaki stopped for a second trying to gather his thoughts together. Where to start? How did he answer his questions? He was still too young to know the truth. "René, your mom, it's complicated and I know you're a smart kid but it's better if you wait until your older so you understand it better. I worry so much about you because it's my job to. You're my son and I love you, it's only natural that I worry that you're okay. And you're right, I do struggle with the bills but I shouldn't use that as an excuse when I mess up. And I shouldn't have you worrying about how tight money can get. I want you to have a normal childhood. That has always been my dream or you."<br>"But it's not fair that you're alone! Why did mom leave me to be your problem? It's not fair!"  
>"René I…" he stopped as René stood and ran into the bedroom. Tamaki went in after him to see him curled up on his bed holding his old bear. Tamaki knew he didn't sleep with it anymore to not look like a baby but he kept it near the bed for times like this. Sitting by his feet he tried to get him to sit up, he could hear he was crying.<br>"René come here, please don't cry. Come on look at me, I want you to hear something." Moving his head he used his sleeve to dry his eyes and look at Tamaki though he was still laying in bed.  
>"First of all I want you to know that you're not a problem that was given to me. I don't want you to ever think that again. I'm sorry you thought that to begin with. You're my son, an amazing one at that, and I love you more than you probably know. And second, when you were born, to protect you better and raise you better than how your mother and I were it was decided you would live with me with no ties to them. That doesn't mean they don't love you though. It's just better this way for everyone. I know it would be better for you if we all lived together, you deserve it but I want you to have what we never had and that's a life you can make all your own. I know life is harder than I wanted it to be for us but I know in the long run it will be better for you." Sitting up René grabbed his legs to process what he was told. Leaning over, Tamaki wiped the remaining tears from under his eyes.<br>"So, you don't wish I wasn't here?" Tamaki's hand froze on René's face hearing that. Why would he say or even think something like that?  
>"Of course not. I love having you here in my life. You're my son. My pride and joy. Why would you think I didn't, did someone say something to you?" He knew René's school looked down on them because he was young and alone. Not that he had the time to, but they never asked him to join events as a parent volunteer. He wouldn't know about most things that happened at the school if Sara didn't tell him.<br>"Hey dad, I love you."  
>"I love you too, I will always love you.<p>

They stayed in the bedroom together for awhile, René snuggled up against him happy to know his dad didn't think he was a bother. He tried not to be, he tried to help him as best as he could knowing his dad had enough to worry about. He knew the kids at school were wrong, but when his dad was late today he started thinking. His dad couldn't do a lot of things because he had to always be there for him and couldn't do things most parents did. Tamaki could tell something else was bothering René but he wouldn't talk to him about it. Hopefully he knew that he could, he could always come talk to him no matter what. He may not be here as much as he wanted to be but René would always come first and if he was having a problem of some sort they would figure it out together.

When they got up, Tamaki went to start dinner and he realized he was skipping again. Making for René he made a cup of tea for himself and tried to get a conversation started. René barely lifted his eyes from the table seeing his dad not eating, again. He always felt guilty that he got to eat while his dad went hungry. He wouldn't accept him to spilt his plate though for whatever reason. His dad worked so hard to provide for him, he should be able to at least eat. He couldn't lose his father, he was all he had. Sure his Aunt loved him but she wasn't his father and no one could replace him.  
>"I'm full dad, want what's left?"<br>"No I'm fine. Big lunch. I'll wrap it up for you in case you get hungry later." Given the standard answer he gave Tamaki his plate and watched him cover it before sticking it in the fridge.  
>"Alright, time for homework. Go get your bag and I'll help you with it and study for your test." Doing as he was told he came back with it as Tamaki made another cup of tea. He must have been really hungry.<p>

Tamaki wished he could figure out what was bothering René so much. He wouldn't say anything about it but he could tell something was getting to him and it had been going on for the last week and a half, if not longer. Perhaps he would ask Michael if he knew something. He didn't have class with René this year but they still attended the same school and had recess together. Hopefully he would know something. Heading towards the kitchen to drop off some orders he heard someone call his name. Aimée was waving for him to go to her, she looked concerned over something. Dropping the orders off she handed him the store phone.  
>"It's about your son, it's his school." Quickly taking the phone he answered it.<br>"Hello?...Yes this is him…oh my god…yes…yes, I understand. I'm at work but I'll get off and come over…okay…thank you." Hanging the phone up he started untying his apron so he could punch out.  
>"Is everything okay?"<br>"René got into a fight at school I need to pick him up."  
>"Oh my God! Is he alright?"<br>"I think so, they didn't say otherwise. Dan is going to have a fit but I need to get him."  
>"Don't worry about him. Go get your son. It's slow here I can easily cover for you."<br>With that he punched out and went to go pick him up.

Arriving at the school he saw René sitting in the office waiting for him.  
>"Hey, are you alright? Oh my, look at you." Taking a look at his face he saw he was already starting to bruise and his cheek was swollen.<br>"Mr. Suoh, may I speak to you?"  
>Turning he saw the principal out of her office wanting him to step in. "Of course." He wasn't sure what it was but he got a strange feeling from the principal. René was a good kid, got good grades, never caused any trouble, so why did she seem not surprised by this the way he was. Taking the seat offered to him he waited to hear what she wanted to tell him<br>"Mr. Suoh as you know we have a zero violence tolerance policy here at this school. The automatic rule is three days suspension. Teachers don't have to give him missed homework but a friend can collect it for him if they send it down, it will also be his responsibility to not fall behind in class once he comes back. He is not allowed on the premise until the suspension has passed. Also these absences will count against him. Do you have any questions?"  
>"Yes. Can I know what happened exactly? René isn't one to get in a fight, he is a good kid. Did he start the fight or just involved?"<br>"I was told he actually hit the other child first but the teachers told me the other child may have been teasing René. I am looking into it."  
>"Alright thank you. I will talk to him."<br>"Mr. Suoh, I don't know what type of house you run but know if it is not one a boy like René should be in I must step in."  
>Stopping getting ready to stand he sat back in his seat, "what do you mean 'type of house I run?' I don't bring violence into my home and René knows I don't stand for it."<br>"Please don't get upset Mr. Suoh I am just stating what is required of me by city law. Many times things like this happen in single parent homes and your still quite young yourself. We want to make sure René is not learning bad behaviors at his home, that he is safe and taken care of properly."  
>"My age has nothing to do with this. I know what the difference is between right and wrong. And I'm sure it happens just as much if not more in couples homes as well. I won't let anyone or anything into my home that can be dangerous for my son. I make sure he has a stable home and that he is taken care of in the best way possible. He has and always come first. Now are we done here, I would like to talk to my son?"<br>"Of course Mr. Suoh. We will see René on Monday." Standing he left the office proud of himself for being able to control his anger towards what was said. He hated that everyone thought he couldn't raise René well because he had him so young. The only thing he was guilty of doing was working a lot but he provided for René and always made sure he was being watched when he was working.

René went into the house knowing already his dad wanted to talk to him. He could tell he was going to get in trouble he knew that the second he was pulled away from the kid he hit. Not to mention he could hear parts of the conversation his dad had with the principal since she left the door open a crack.  
>"Go put your stuff down then go into the bathroom so I can clean you up."<br>"I'm grounded aren't I?"  
>"You are but we'll talk about that later." Waiting for René he went into the bathroom to wet a towel and make sure he had enough anti-bacterial cream. René came in and sat on the edge of the tub, looking at the floor. Kneeling in front of him he used the cloth to wipe his face. Hearing him wince he pulled back to see if he was cut.<br>"Sorry, try to hold still. I want to make sure you're not that bad. I see you have blood on your shirt."  
>"That may be the other kids, I punched him in the nose."<br>"René." Hearing that didn't make him happy but he wanted to get answers. Moving his shirt he saw he had a nice gash on his shoulder that he could tell was hurting him as he tried to clean it. Making sure it was completely clean he bandaged it up and had him change shirts so he could soak this one in hopes to get the blood out. When René came back out of the bedroom he joined Tamaki on the loveseat knowing he couldn't get out of talking to him.

"Tell me, what made you start a fight? That's not like you at all. When they called to tell me I almost didn't believe them. I thought I raised you better than that, that fighting won't solve anything."  
>"Anthony was, he started it. He started picking on me again and when I told him to stop he went on. I tried to ignore him but then he started saying things about you and I got angry. He wouldn't stop and he kept coming closer to me and when he got so close I pushed him to get him away from me. He pushed me back and I think that's when I punched him. I'm sorry dad."<br>"Why didn't you tell me before he had been bothering you? Had you said something to me sooner I could have said something to the school to avoid this."  
>"Because you've been tired and have had other things to worry about, I didn't want you to worry about me."<br>"How many times do I have to tell you that I will always worry about you. It's my duty to worry about you. Now, talk to me. What has this kid been teasing you about?" He could tell René didn't want to talk about it. That meant it was probably things he had already heard before whether René knew it or not. Dropping a hand on his knee he gave him a little reassurance squeeze to let him know it was okay.  
>"He said I was a teacher's pet and a loser and that his parents said I would be trouble when I grew up since I was raised by just you and you were too young to raise me. And then he said you were a loser too because you worked so much and it wasn't a normal job like his parents and…"seeing him start to cry Tamaki brought him close in hopes to get him to stop. He hated seeing his son cry.<br>"I am so sorry René. I am so, so, sorry." Hearing his dad apologize only made him cry harder, he shouldn't have to be sorry. "He started saying things about my home and what I wear and…and I got mad that he wouldn't stop and that he said things about you. And please don't hate me."  
>"Ssh, ssh, ssh, it's okay, I could never hate you. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I truly am. I wish I could have prepared you somehow for some of the nasty things people can say. You're a good kid René and I love you.'<br>"That's not what the principal said. When I…when I was brought in she asked me all sorts of questions. She asked…about…about you and living here and, and made the nurse ask me a whole lot of questions and dad…dad…I'm scared."  
>"It's going to be okay René I promise. You know what Aunt Sara used to tell me all the time? That we should let people talk and believe what they want. We know the truth and that is all that matters. No one can take me away from you because they have no evidence to do so. You have a place to live and clothes and food and a parent that loves you. We may not be rich but we don't have to be to be happy and provided for. Now come on why don't we get you to lie down for a little while." Letting him go he helped dry his eyes and calm down before he made himself sick. Going into his room he helped him into bed and stayed with him until he shut his eyes. He hated the fact that René was being bullied at school; he hated knowing he didn't want to tell him about it. He hated knowing he was the reason René went through all of this. He wished he could make it all go away somehow.<p>

Waking up René saw the bedroom door open and heard what sounded like dinner. It seemed a little early for that though, but, maybe his dad didn't want to eat as late as they usually did. Leaving the room he went into the kitchen to see what he was cooking.  
>"Oh good you're up. I was going to wake you up in a few so you wouldn't be up all night."<br>"What are you cooking?"  
>"Chicken parm, I thought I would try it since I had time and I've wanted to make it for awhile."<br>" Can I help?"  
>"Sure."<br>It seemed odd that he didn't bring up earlier, the air seemed different but it didn't seem bad, maybe his dad knew he felt terrible about what he did at school and that's why the air around them seemed strange. He did feel really bad about getting in the fight and knew right away his dad would have to leave work to get him. Money was already tight, leaving early and not getting a full day's pay wasn't going to help any.  
>"I'm sorry."<br>"Huh?"  
>"I'm sorry about fighting Anthony and making you leave work early."<br>"Thanks but I didn't need to hear you apologize. You're still grounded though. But do me a favor, talk to me next time someone teases you. I know you were trying to defend me and stick up for me but violence is never an answer. Fighting others won't help prove a point to anyone."  
>"I understand."<br>"I thought you would, you're a smart boy."  
>Together they finished making dinner and waited for it to bake. Tamaki had just sat down in the living room when he heard a knock at the door. Seeing René look at him while he tried to get a book out of his backpack he went to see who it was. He wasn't too surprised to see Michael and Sara at his door.<br>"Hello Michael. Sorry, René can't play right now. He is grounded until Monday."  
>"So it's true then, he had gotten into a fight. Michael told me when he got out of school."<br>"Yea. He is fine luckily."  
>"Uncle Tamaki, I brought René's homework." Allowing them in he let Michael dig out the homework he got for René and while he did that he talked to Sara for a few minutes.<br>"Are you not going to work until Monday then?"  
>"No, I can't but I'll probably bring him with me. He can sit in the kitchen and the stores don't care so long as I'm still working."<br>"I can watch him if you need me too. I'm home all day."  
>"Thanks but its okay. This will be good for him."<br>"How is he? Michael said he had been getting bullied for some time now. Not saying René was right but I would have gotten frustrated too."  
>"I was thinking that too but I can't believe he never even hinted something going on. I mean he never wanted to get up but I didn't think that was why." Though thinking about it it made sense. René hadn't been crazy about going to school for a while now and that was probably why. But why didn't he say so instead of letting it go on for so long.<br>"Well let us go. Smelling your dinner reminds me that I need to cook mine. Let me know if you need me to come over tomorrow." Grabbing Michael they said their good-byes and left the apartment. René sat on the living room with his book figuring already he wouldn't be allowed to watch TV. Which, was fine, he was really enjoying this book they had to read for class. Tamaki sat beside him going through the mail. It was all bills and late notices that he hoped René didn't catch a glimpse of. This weekend he would have to sit down and see which ones he could pay and what could wait. This seemed to be how he always spent his Saturday nights. It wasn't how he wanted to spend them but he had never been one to go out when he was younger so at least he didn't miss it. Still, as he thought about it he realized he would be thirty in five years and hadn't done anything people his age normally did. That was something he didn't want to think about.  
>"Hey dad, what's this word mean?"<br>Hearing René he stopped dwelling on things he tried not to think about and focused on what his son wanted.

René didn't hate not going to school as much as he thought he would. He had to go to work with his dad but it wasn't too bad. He brought his backpack and worked on homework while his dad worked or just read. Plus, he got to have these awesome chocolate pancakes for lunch which was pretty cool. He wasn't crazy about his dad's boss though who kept giving him strange looks and kept saying he was in the way. Though, he sat in the corner most of the day so he wouldn't be but whatever. He hoped his dad wouldn't get in trouble for bringing him. He already gave him enough trouble for leaving early yesterday he didn't want him to get in any more.  
>"Ready to go kiddo?"<br>Grabbing his backpack he got off his chair and met him so they could go to his next job.

Home for the night René went to help Tamaki with dinner. While they cooked together he noticed his dad's face looked red.  
>"Dad, are you feeling okay?" Stopping with washing the dishes his dad was handing him as he was done using them to cook with he finally brought up what was bothering him,<br>"Yea why do I not look it?"  
>"Your face is red."<br>"Oh, it's probably just from the heat from the stove." He didn't believe him for a second. His dad cooked dinner every day and he never saw his face become red from the heat. It didn't help in any way that once they finished dinner he fell asleep on the loveseat, he hadn't even been watching TV either, if he had he may not have been so worried. Maybe he just hadn't been sleeping all that well and was exhausted. Hoping that was it he grabbed his dad's comforter off the bed and put it over him before turning in for the night.

René heard his father's alarm clock going off, knowing he had to get up so he could get ready to go to either work with him or Aunt Sara's he sat up. Looking at his dad's bed he saw he went to it during the night and was still asleep, that wasn't good. Going to him he saw sweat covering his face and he was shirtless, his dad never slept shirtless.  
>"Dad, dad wake up." Gently he tried to wake him up, he could tell he was scared and unsure what to do exactly but knew he needed to see his dad's eyes open.<br>"Uh, René? Hey, what time is it?" Feeling how hot his body was he hoped for a cold shower before he went to work.  
>"Dad, please, stay home. You're sick aren't you?"<br>"No I'm fine. And I need to go to work. Don't worry about me."  
>"Dad, please don't go!" For some he had this feeling about letting him go. Sitting up Tamaki felt his sheets sticking to him. He was covered in sweat; he was probably running a fever at the very least. But, he had to go to work, he couldn't afford not to. Getting up he went to jump in the shower and prove to René he was fine. René on the other hand ran to the phone to call Aunt Sara and see if she had any idea on how to get him to stay.<br>"He has a fever?"  
>"Yea, Aunt Sara he looks really sick but he insists on going in."<br>"That sounds about right…hide is wallet and uniform I'll be there in ten minutes."  
>"Okay Aunt Sa…" He cut off as he heard something crash in the bathroom. "Dad!" Dropping the phone he ran into the bathroom to see if he was alright. Bursting through the door he saw his dad curled up on the floor, their towel rack broken off the wall. "Father!" Not seeing him moving he ran to him holding back his tears, hoping he was fine. Looking at his face he saw blood running down his head, it wasn't pouring out but it was enough, but on the upside he was breathing, thank goodness.<br>"Hang on father you'll be fine. You can't leave me; we are all we have remember. We need to stick together, always."

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I feel we are getting closer to the end, still have some distance to it but the conclusion is finally starting to show. Please review and leave thoughts. I love them and you.  
>~Femalefighter~ <p>


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

René changed the washcloths on Tamaki's forehead as he was instructed to do when they felt warm before going back on his own bed to watch him. With his Aunts help they managed to get Tamaki out of the bathroom and into bed. She also told him the gash on his head didn't seem too bad but probably happened when the towel rack fell.  
>"René, come eat breakfast your father will be fine. He will be upset when he wakes up and learns up haven't eaten." Sara walked into their bedroom to see René watching Tamaki closely, waiting for him to wake up.<br>"I'm not hungry right now."  
>Sighing she walked in and sat next to him, he was just like his mother. "Your dad will be fine I promise he just has a nasty cold. Give him a day or two and he'll be back on his feet."<br>"I told him not to worry about me so much. He worries about enough, but, then I got into that fight and he had to worry about me not being in school and about the money he lost from leaving early and, this is all my fault." Burying his head into his knees he felt the tears he had held back all morning start to fall. Feeling his aunt pull him close he started to cry on her lap.  
>"None of this is your fault hun. Sure you fighting at school wasn't a good thing but that has nothing to do with this. For as long as I have known your father he has always taken poor care of himself. He insists on always working hard and never giving his body the rest it needs."<br>"I wish he could take it easy for once. I don't want to lose him Aunt Sara."  
>"You won't lose him René he'll be fine I promise. Your dad is strong, super strong really and nothing will ever stop him for long. Plus, he loves you so much he could never leave you. But, I do wish he could take it easier too. I wish he could find someone that would take care of him and you. After all you both have been through you both deserve it."<br>Sitting up her tried to stop crying, "You want my dad to find someone?"  
>"I do. And he says it won't ever happen again but I bet it could if he allowed himself to date again."<br>"Will he not because of my mom?"  
>"Your mom? No, why would…actually it might be part if of the reason but I was thinking of a different one." Almost slipping up about René's mother she stopped and quickly watched herself and what came out of her mouth. Tamaki would never forgive her if she slipped his little secret to René.<br>"Is it because Brandon was a jerk?"  
>"Sort of. Now come on, let's get some breakfast in you and let your dad rest. I'm sure us talking in here won't help him sleep any."<br>Together they got up to leave the room. Before, he left though René changed the washcloth and took the bucket with him to change the water so it would be cooler for his dad.

Sara watched as René didn't move for most of the day. He stayed on his bed to watch Tamaki and only moved to change the washcloth on his forehead. That boy was definitely Tamaki's son for sure. Hearing Tamaki stir in bed René jumped off the bed to go to him. Seeing his eyes finally open made him happier than he could say. Opening his eyes Tamaki noticed he still felt crappy, how long had he been in bed? He could have sworn he got up to shower and head to work. Moving his hand to his forehead he felt a cold cloth on it, with a slight turn of his head he saw René next to the bed watching him closely.  
>"Hey kiddo, did you give me this?"<br>"Aunt Sara said it would help your fever."  
>"Aunt Sara?"<br>"Yea, Aunt Sara." Both boys looked at the doorway to see her standing there. They could tell she wanted to say something to Tamaki right now but thought it better to wait until he was feeling a little better. Stepping in she stood beside René and took the washcloth from Tamaki as he sat up. Placing a hand on his forehead she shook her head. "You still feel hot but since you're up I can give you medicine now. I was not trying to shove it down your throat while you slept."  
>"Have you been here long? Ugh, my head is pounding."<br>Grabbing his head with both hands he tried to get the throbbing to stop. Feeling something odd under his hand he pulled it away to see a faint line of blood.  
>"Look at you, up not even five minutes and you reopen your wounds."<br>"Huh?" Looking at her with confusion covering his face he was forced to sit still while she wiped the blood away with the towel she was still holding.  
>"I cut my head? Ow that stings."<br>"Don't you remember dad? This morning you went to the bathroom to shower for work and slipped or something and fell, you took the towel rack off the wall. Aunt Sara believes that was what cut you."  
>"Oh yea." Hissing as his cut stung from what Sara was doing he hoped the damage wasn't too bad, to his head or the bathroom.<br>"Oh and dad your work called earlier to see where you were, Aunt Sara talked to them and told them you were really sick and that's why you hadn't called. They said they hope you feel better soon and let them know if you would be out for awhile."  
>"Oh, alright, thanks Sara."<br>"No problem, but I'm telling you right now. If I learn that you went to work tomorrow the cut on your head will be the least of your troubles."  
>Why did he figure she would say something like that? Though she had no idea how tight money was right now and how he really needed to work.<br>"Are you hungry dad, Aunt Sara ordered in for us and I ordered something for you."  
>"Actually I am really thirsty, René do you mind getting me a glass of water." Happy to help his dad he ran out of the room to get his dad the water he asked for.<br>"Have you been here all day?"  
>"Since René called me to figure out a way to get you to stay home, yes. We really need to talk Tamaki."<br>"I figured you would say that."  
>Not saying more as René walked back in Tamaki chugged the water he was handed. It felt so good, his throat felt dry, probably from the fever. Hearing the doorbell Sara left them alone to pay the delivery guy. René helped Tamaki stand and go into the kitchen so they could all eat. He wasn't all that hungry from not feeling that well but knew he wouldn't be able to get out of it. Not to mention he didn't want to waste Sara's money.<p>

Tamaki put René to bed and joined Sara in the kitchen so they could talk. He felt bad that she had been here all day but she said Sean was visiting his family with the kids and she never got along with mother-in-law too well so skipping wasn't a huge loss.  
>"Even while I was pregnant with them I was doing it wrong. She loves the kids so they can spend as much time as they want with her, when I'm not there." Smiling he took a sip from the tea she made for them, he loved it for his throat, it was just what he needed. She jumped into what took place this morning before she got sidetracked. Tamaki was filled in on how René called her to figure out how to get him to stay home and she rushed over when she heard a loud crash and the phone drop while René yelled something. He was grateful she watched René and made sure he ate while he rested without worry. He did still feel bad though that she had to get involved.<br>"Why didn't you tell me money was tight right now?"  
>"Because money has always been tight." Seeing the look she gave him he took it as that wasn't what she meant. "Did René say something to you?"<br>"No, your cabinets did. Why do you insist on going hungry when things are bad?"  
>"I don't insist on doing anything. But right now I'm really struggling with the bills and I need to make sure René is eating. The school is already trying to investigate me since the fight. I can't give them more to question. And when things are bad I don't have much appetite anyway."<br>"Is he underweight?"  
>"Not that I know of. When he went for his school physical the doctor said he looked great. The school believes I am a bad influence, that I am trouble and raising René poorly, not giving him a stable home because of it. Whether they know what I have done in the past or not I do not know. And I thought about moving René to another school but I don't want to take him away from Michael."<p>

René stood by the door of his bedroom to hear what his dad was saying. This was all his fault, his dad not eating, having trouble paying the bills, all of it. And what did he mean but what he had done in the past? Did he mean when he was seeing Brandon, but that had nothing to do with anything. Still there had to be something he could do to help his dad, maybe if he wasn't home so much. He could join afterschool clubs, or maybe do sports. The school didn't offer too much but the local park had sports teams that he didn't think cost anything to join. He was certain he could find something. He wanted his dad to take it easy and not work so hard on making sure he was okay. He hated being so young since he couldn't work but maybe he could still find a way to help out more. Hearing all he could stomach and before he got caught he went back to his bed. He would think of something, he had too.

Tamaki finished talking with Sara and bid her good-night as she left to head home. Turning in for the night as well he went into the bedroom. He was extremely tired even though he slept practically all day. In bed for only a few minutes he passed out with dreams of Kyouya in his mind. Such thoughts hadn't occurred in a long time that his mind ran to the escape they brought. He never realized how much he still missed him after all these years. Though he did know he thought about him more when things weren't going so well for him. He hoped he was leading a good life and really making something of himself. Kyouya really deserved it. He had such great dreams for himself and such a passion to see them come true that he wished nothing but the best for him.

By Monday Tamaki was looking better; he still felt sick but not terrible which meant he was heading back to work. Not that he could really afford to miss another day but he didn't feel guilty dealing with people while he wasn't feeling like himself. Hearing his alarm he got up to see René already up and eating breakfast. He hadn't seen this in awhile.  
>"Morning dad. How are you feeling?"<br>"Morning, pretty good. You're up earlier than usual. Everything okay?" grabbing an apple from the basket he kept on the counter he took a bite while he sat down. He would have to thank Sean for this, he loved apples and in the morning he was never really hungry but knew he should eat. Sara dropped them off yesterday for them saying Sean had picked too many while he was visiting his parents house; apparently they owed a few apple trees. Whatever the reasoning he was grateful, they were delicious.  
>"Mmhmm. Just don't want to be late for school."<br>"What's this I'm hearing? Such beautiful words."  
>Getting up to put his bowl in the sink René didn't say anything but went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He didn't want to tell his dad what he was planning, how he wanted to see about joining things for school so he wouldn't be home as much and let him rest more. If he told him he would tell him all was fine and it was his duty to worry, blah, blah, blah. This was just better for everyone if he said nothing.<p>

René walked into his apartment to see his dad sitting at the kitchen table, it wasn't that late out, this couldn't be good.  
>"Hey dad, I'm home."<br>"Hey René," Hearing the defeat in his voice René knew it really wasn't good. "Have fun with your friends?"  
>"Yea, we played at the park."<br>"Whose parent was there?" Putting down the letter he was holding he looked over at René who was getting a drink. "You know I hate it when you guys go alone."  
>"I know, Tony's mom was there with his little sister. What's for dinner?" Joining him at the table he hoped his dad couldn't tell he was lying. The truth was that he went exploring with Michael again. He couldn't join anything at school right now so they would just tell Sara they had so she wouldn't pick them up and went off to explore. Both Sara and Tamaki thought someone else's parents would walk them home since they all lived close to each other so they shouldn't learn the truth.<br>"I don't know yet I was thinking baked chicken, but, I'm glad your home. I really need to talk to you."  
>"Okay dad" He already knew what this was about, he could see the giant word "eviction" on the letter his dad had in his hands.<br>"I didn't want to but it seems we'll have to move. I'm pretty sure you won't switch schools, unless you want to. But I just want you to know what's going on and not to worry. I also feel bad about making you move but I like to think of it as a good thing."  
>"Don't worry dad I don't mind moving. Any idea where to?"<br>"No yet but I'll find something soon. But we need to start packing."  
>"No problem dad I'm sure I can get this stuff packed up just like when I was younger."<br>"I'm sure you're right."  
>Happy that René didn't seem devastated by the news he got up to start dinner. He told René he liked to think of it as a good thing, while he wasn't lying he also wasn't telling him the truth.<p>

René dropped the duffel bag of his favorite clothes into his new bedroom as he saw it. There had to be some mistake, this could not be their new apartment.  
>"Dad, is this really out place? Is this temporary?"<br>Going in behind him he dropped a box of clothes in the corner. "This is ours, why?"  
>René looked at the bedroom they were supposed to share with his mouth hanging open, how could his dad be serious about this?"<br>"What's wrong René, tell me."  
>"It's small. Are we both going to be able to sleep in here?" He knew the apartment was tiny as soon as he walked in but he thought the bedroom would be a little bigger.<br>"We should be able to get both beds in here but, if not I'll figure something out. Don't worry about it." As he walked out to get another box from the truck they rented René turned to follow. He was really started to hate those words, "don't worry about it."

Never before had René hated a place so much before. He could never tell his dad this knowing how hard finding a place had been but he hated living here. He really hoped they could move again. He didn't care to live in a house or fancy apartment but a place where his father could sleep on a bed instead of the loveseat was all he wanted. His father worked too hard to be forced to sleep on the loveseat. He wished his father would take the bed and he would sleep in the living room. At least he was small enough to sleep there, he wouldn't have to bunch up the way his father did. He hated it all, the apartment, his father's attitude towards everything; nothing was wrong in his book. He hated being home. He was able to convince him though that he should have a spare key to the apartment though, just in case. It wasn't much but it was the only thing he didn't hate, his dad could know he was safe if he had to work a little later then he usually did. He could leave Michael's the same time he used to and meet his father at home. He wasn't allowed to cook alone but at least his dad didn't have to pick him up after work, he could just come home. He would never bring Michael or any of his friends home with him though, for anything. He didn't want any of them to see his apartment; he didn't want them to see how he lived.

Tamaki paced the apartment after hanging up with Sara again. He didn't know where René was. He knew he was hiding something again but figured he knew he could talk to him when he was ready. But now he got him from work to not see René home. Before he started to panic he called Sara's figuring he was still there, only to learn neither boy was there. René knew to call if he was going to be later if he was with friends but he hadn't called or left any messages causing him to worry. It also wasn't helping his fears any that the number Sara gave him for another friend hadn't been any help either. René had some explaining to do that was for sure. Hearing the door open he saw René come in and stop surprised to see him in the apartment.  
>"Oh, your home already."<br>"Yes I am, I have been home for forty-five minutes now, where have you been? Now come inside I want to talk to you. Michael I would get home, your mom is worried."  
>"Okay, see you at school René. Night Uncles Tamaki."<br>Knowing he was in trouble and René was too he left to go home, he wasn't planning on staying long anyway.  
>"Where have you been?"<br>"Playing with Michael, Tony, and some of his friends."  
>Walking past his father he stepped into the bedroom and shut the door, he didn't want to talk.<br>"René Kyouya Suoh, get out here now!"  
>Huffing he opened the door and went to sit on the loveseat.<br>"Where were you?"  
>"With Michael and Tony!"<br>"Don't lie to me! I called Tony's house and he was home and his mother had no idea who I was. She said she had no idea her son knew you. Now where were you and why have you been lying to me?"  
>"I've been exploring the city with Michael! We lied to you and Aunt Sara and walked the city so you guys couldn't stop us!"<br>"What? René are you insane? The city is no place for two eight year olds to roam around without parental supervision. What's has gotten into you?"  
>"It's fine, nothing happened!"<br>"That's not the point!"  
>"What do you care anyway, I'm doing you a favor! I'm letting you take it easy for a change! Something you refuse to do!"<br>"Watch the attitude! You call worrying me about you, hoping your safe, taking it easy? I've been worried sick because I had no idea where you were! Forgive me for wanting to make sure my son is okay. I don't want to lose you, you're,"  
>"all you have, yea I know! Maybe I don't want you worry about me so much! Maybe I just want you to leave me alone!" Getting up he tried to walk away only to see Tamaki blocking his path.<br>"René…"He was stunned by what he said, what was going on with his son? "I know you don't like me worrying so much but puling stunts like this won't help any! What has gotten into you lately? Talk to me." Dropping his voice he knew yelling wouldn't help anything and would probably just cause a complaint from the neighbors, the walls were very thin. Bunching his fists René tried to not say anything; he didn't want to hurt his father anymore. "Hey, come on, talk to me René. Are people bothering you at school?" Taking a step closer René stepped back, "Just leave me alone Father!" Running around him he went into the bedroom.  
>"René!" Hearing the door slam shut Tamaki's feet gave out causing him to crash on the loveseat. What was happening to the relationship he had with his son? <p>

Going into the bedroom he couldn't get René to talk to him at all, he just laid there not saying a word or doing anything. Leaving he went out to cook dinner hoping that would get René to move.  
>"Please come eat René. I don't want you to go to bed hungry."<br>"I'm not hungry." He mumbled in his pillow.  
>"Well at least you're talking to me again. That's good to know. But, please come eat before it gets cold. Let's just forget about before, we can talk like we normally do about it. I'm sorry I got so mad."<br>Rolling on his side so his back faced Tamaki he didn't say anything. He didn't want his father to apologize for what happened, he wanted him to be as mad as he deserved. He should really be the one to say sorry. He hated this.  
>Slowly closing the door he let René be, hoping that giving him time would help. He didn't know why they seemed to be at ends lately, but he wanted it to stop and stop now. He couldn't handle losing René, the only thing that made this horrible life worth something.<p>

Seeing it was close to ten René rolled out of bed. His stomach was growling and he found it hard to sleep because of it. Well that and how the whole evening turned out. Why did his father have to apologize? Why did he have to get so mad every time his dad tried to be a father to him? Why did he have to hate everything and when would it stop? Rolling out of bed he opened the bedroom door slightly to see the rest of the apartment dark. His father must have gone to bed already. Quietly coming out of the room he stepped into the kitchen, going to open the fridge he stopped as he heard something. Ducking down he tried to figure out what he heard.  
>"Oh Kyouya…"<br>"Kyouya? Who was that? The only time he heard that name was when his dad called him by his full name.  
>"Kyouya…I keep screwing up. How do I…what should…I should never have left…"<br>Seeing his dad move he hid further hoping not to be spotted. The last thing he needed was for his father to know he had seen him crying. As fast as he could he ran into the bedroom and jumped back into bed. Tamaki put the picture he still had after all these years of Kyouya away before drying his eyes and blowing his nose. Leaving his spot on the loveseat he opened the bedroom door to see René in bed sleeping. Closing the door he went back into the living room. He could tell he probably wouldn't sleep but he had to at least try or something. He really didn't know anymore.

0o0o0o0o0o0

I am thinking another chapter or two for this story. Guys I can't believe it the end is actually nearing. I never thought it would be this long of a story. I really worked on it for NaNoWriMo so that's probably why it is so much longer than I originally thought. Then again 10 years the story this is a prequel to was a lot longer than I thought too so I guess you can never really tell. Please review, I love reading all of them.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

**Disclaimer- **I own nothing!

At the sound of his alarm Tamaki was up, not that he hadn't been all night but he couldn't lay down anymore. Going into the bedroom he woke René up so he get ready for school. Hopefully he was talking to him again. Getting out of bed he used the bathroom first while his father got breakfast ready for them before eating, getting dressed then going back into the bathroom to brush his teeth once his father was out. It was a typical morning, only the fight lingered heavily on both of their minds. Once Tamaki was dressed he stepped out of the bedroom to see René at the table finishing up some homework it looked like.  
>"Will you get in a lot of trouble for not finishing it?" Tamaki poured another cup of coffee since he had the time and something told him he would need a lot of coffee to get through the day.<br>"No, I'm ahead of the class."  
>"Oh, well that's good."<br>"I'm sorry about worrying you last night."  
>"Thanks. I want you to come straight home after school this week. Call me as soon as you get here. No friends, no calling then leaving, no cooking. I can imagine Michael is grounded as well otherwise I would have you stay there but I also think you boys need some time apart."<br>"Michael isn't the problem."  
>"I know he isn't but you both messed up. Anything could have happened and you got lucky nothing did."<br>"I know. Hey father, who is…never mind."  
>"Who is who?" Sitting across from René he watched him, tried to figure out what he was hiding.<br>"No one, never mind it's nothing." Packing up his books he noticed they had to leave soon.  
>"Hey René, you know you can talk to me right? About anything, anytime. I'll always be here for you."<br>"Yea I know. I'm ready to go."  
>Putting his cup in the sink he grabbed his wallet and house keys so they could head out. Maybe slowly, piece by piece he could get René to talk to him again. It was only a couple of years ago that René would tell him everything, now though he was lucky if he got a few sentences at most. What could have happened in such a short amount of time that changed everything?<p>

René got home from school called his father to tell him, then cleaned the apartment as best he could. The good thing with being grounded was he could do things around here while his dad was at work instead of playing with Michael, who was also grounded .Trying to clean the bathroom he ran out coughing and tried to open the window in the bedroom since he couldn't reach the one in the bathroom. One of the cleaners smelled terrible and was starting to give him a headache. Keeping the bedroom door open he sat in the kitchen to start his homework. He didn't want to tell his father but he could skip a year with his grades as high as they were. He had the letter in his backpack but didn't want it approved. He didn't want to leave Michael and be picked on anymore then he already was. His stupid bullies really got to him but he knew he couldn't fight them again. And so long as Michael stayed his friend and had his back he didn't care about what anyone said about him. He didn't see what the big deal was that he liked school and did well in it. He never tried too hard in it either, he wouldn't have to study long to get good grades. He didn't care that it wasn't really challenging to him he just really liked going and learning something new.

He had just closed the bedroom window when Tamaki came home from work. He knew he would be home soon since he had just called to tell him not all that long ago that he was leaving work. Coming out of the room he went back to his homework while his father took his shoes off and went to change.  
>"So how did things go here? Any trouble?"<br>"No, everything went well. How was work?"  
>"Not that bad, glad to be home though. What's that smell?"<br>"Oh that's cleaner. I cleaned the bathroom for you."  
>"You did? Well thanks." Going into the bathroom he opened the window to help air the room out. "Well it looks great but I think you overdid it with the cleaner. You didn't mix anything right?"<br>"Nope I just used the one. Well and then the one for the inside of the toilet. I had the bedroom window open to help get rid of the smell because I couldn't open the other one."  
>"No worries. It will pass. Let me know if you feel light headed though. And I really appreciate your help. Maybe I should ground you more often."<br>Cleaning up from his homework he helped his father with dinner. Being grounded wasn't really that bad, but he still hated being home. No matter what changed between them it didn't change how he felt being here.

Tamaki was watching TV, René was changing for bed. He could tell something had been on his mind for some time now. It didn't seem life or death but something he wanted permission for. The way René was acting seemed to give that off, he had no clue what he could want though. Money may not be as abundant as it could be but depending on what it was he could get it for him. René never asked for much, ever, so when he did and he could tell he really wanted it he did what it could to see it happen. Coming out of the bedroom sat on the recliner chair across from Tamaki with the book he was currently reading. Tamaki loved that chair and was glad René liked it too. It had been given to him by a co-worker and was in great shape. It was nice having something new in the apartment, all the furniture was over nine years old.  
>"Hey father."<br>"Hmm?" Looking over at René he saw he had closed his book and was trying to force what he wanted to say out. Muting the TV he gave him his full attention. "What's up René?"  
>"I want to join the baseball team the park has."<br>Well that was a little surprising; he didn't know René liked baseball. He never watched any of the games when they were on TV.  
>"Which park? I didn't know any of them had a team."<br>"Parc Floral and it's only a few years old. They have signups for anyone under ten. It's free to join…but you have to buy your own uniform."  
>"How much?"<br>"Fifty to hundred. Fifty is just for the uniform and travel for games, hundred is for all that and equipment."  
>"When are practices?"<br>"Weekend afternoons and Tuesday and Thursday evenings."  
>"And when do you need the money by?"<br>"March first."  
>So just about two months away, that would give him plenty of time to get it all together. "Sure go ahead and join."<br>"Really?!"  
>"If you think you would enjoy it then sure. A sport is good for you. I played soccer when I was younger. Just remind me near the end of February to give you the money."<br>"Okay! Thanks so much!" Jumping off the chair he ran to hug Tamaki. He didn't think it would go so well knowing they were asking for a good bit of money. He couldn't wait to tell Michael tomorrow at school.

Seeing René super excited for his first practice made Tamaki feel great. The relationship they had still wasn't where it used to be but seeing a smile on René's face made things look better. He wished he could go watch the practice. He wasn't sure if René would want him there or not but it would be nice to see him. He hoped he enjoyed playing and made some good friends and memories. As far as he knew Michael was the only one René played with outside of school. He was a good kid, he deserved to have more than one friend, though, he was really glad only his friend was his best friend. So maybe it wasn't really that bad if he only had one friend so long as he was a true one.  
>"Father come on or we'll both be late." Practice may not have started until noon but René was going to play catch with Michael before then since he had work and they were going to be hanging out together any way. Arriving at the park Tamaki could tell Michael was just as excited for this as René was.<br>"Tamaki, did you know I love your son? He is the reason Michael wanted to join as well. Sean and I think this will be great for him, burn off some of that energy he has pent up."  
>"Happy to help. Let me know how it goes. Are you staying for all of it?"<br>"Probably, just to meet the coach and make sure he isn't some whack job. I'll fill you in so go and don't worry."  
>"You're the best." Saying bye to him took off before he was late for work. He hoped would give him a play by play when they were home later but he couldn't guarantee it. Maybe this was just what needed to open back up to him again. Maybe he was unhappy not living like everyone else and he just needed something to feel normal. He wanted that for his son, a sense of normalcy, one he wanted growing up as well. Only, he noticed that wasn't really happening. René was growing up with only one parent; he couldn't even say his parents were divorced since he had never been married to Kyouya. Not to mention they were on the poorer side then most. They couldn't live as most did, unable to afford even simple things like going out to dinner. How he wished they could go out for more than just René's birthday. He hated that René always felt guilty for asking for something. So long as he didn't become that child that cried or threw a tantrum when he couldn't get what he liked he wanted him to ask for everything and anything. He hated saying no because he couldn't afford it. It didn't happen often because he rarely asked but when he did his heart always broke when he had to say no.<p>

Seeing the time he hoped René had a great first practice and ran to work. Once he started playing a few games he would have to take off so he could watch him. Maybe not go see every game but at least one; he wanted to support his son in everything he did. All day he wondered how things were going, if the coach was nice, if he had gotten hurt. Thinking about it he knew baseball wasn't really a contact sport so he should be alright. But, he could get hit by the ball or if he slid for a base. It was their first practice though and they were young so hopefully the coach wasn't making them do anything dangerous or over working them. Seeing it was four finally he went to punch out for the day and head home. René should be home already practice was only until two.

"René? Hey are you home?" Coming inside he heard a faint "yea" come from the bedroom. Heading over there to see him and grab clothes to change he saw him tossing a baseball as he laid in bed.  
>"Hey father."<br>"How was practice?"  
>"Great! Me and Michael did really well, coach was really impressed."<br>"Well that's great to hear. Hungry? Want to help me with dinner while you tell me all about it? I bought things to make your favorite in honor of your first practice." He figured he would help him with dinner but he couldn't guarantee he would talk about practice. Hopefully and sooner rather than later they would have the relationship they had before. René had no idea how much he missed that. René stood next to Tamaki trying to help for a second before he set the table. He wanted to tell him all about practice but the words wouldn't come. He wanted the relationship to go back to the way it was but he couldn't see how. His father refused to believe anything was wrong and he still worked so hard, never receiving any help, always doing all he could alone, never letting himself fall to pieces when everyone could tell he wanted to. It was something he couldn't forgive him for. Maybe things couldn't be fixed, not like this anyway. Seeing René deep in thought Tamaki washed his hands to get the raw meat off them before going to the table to help him.  
>"Hey father."<br>"Hmmm?" Going to put the forks in place he stopped, seeing René staring at nothing.  
>"Thanks, for allowing me to join the baseball team. I know a hundred is a lot of money and you didn't have to. I know we could of used the money for the bills or food. You didn't have to but thanks, I really appreciate it."<br>"René…" How could he get him to understand that this felt like the least he could do. After being unable to give him so much this hardly felt like anything.  
>"Just have fun René alright. Don't worry about it. Even if you hate baseball and don't want to continue it's still fine. I wish I could do more for you, this feels like nothing when compared to what I want to give you and do for you. So go and have a good time and don't worry about the money I gave you. You deserve it, that's why I gave it to you without worry."<br>"Thanks father."

He may not have gotten him to speak more since he joined the local baseball team but he definitely seemed happier. They made an agreement that so long as René kept his grades up he could play and practice as much as he wanted. He didn't think that would be a problem but he thought it should be there just in case. René sat at the table doing homework while Tamaki listened to the answering machine. Hearing a voice saying it was his principal René slowly started to pack up his backpack and sneak into this room. Just getting out of the kitchen chair he heard his father's voice telling him to stop. Freezing he put his bag down and went back into the seat he just came from.  
>"So your principal called earlier. Wanted to remind me that the form for you to skip a grade is due by Monday. Why is this the first I am hearing about this? And why is she telling me about it and not you?"<br>"Your going to get mad aren't you?"  
>" No, I just want you to talk to me. Why have you decided that you didn't want to tell me about this? Being told you can skip a grade is a huge compliment."<br>"I know, they told me that few are ever allowed to but I don't care, I don't want to change grades."  
>"Why not?"<br>Futzing with his hands he didn't want to tell him the reason why. He knew he wouldn't understand.  
>"René, you can tell me. I want to understand." Tamaki reached for René's hands on the table only to watch him pull them back.<br>"I want to… I don't want to move ahead without Michael."  
>"I'm sure he would understand. And it's not like you won't see each other, you'll still be attending the same school."<br>"I knew you wouldn't understand."  
>"René don't get upset I'm just curious that's all."<br>"Michael and I made a promise that we would have each other's backs. I can't break that promise to him." So that was it, Michael was protecting René. That must have met that René was still getting picked on at school and if René changed grades he would be alone.  
>"Can I see the form?" Taking it out of his backpack he handed it to Tamaki worried about what he was going to do with it. "I understand and if you don't want to advance then I will not force you too. I just wish you would have told me sooner. You should know by now that I wouldn't force you to do something you really didn't want to." Taking the paper in his hands he ripped it in half. "All done, see no worries."<br>"Thanks father. Are we done then? I want to finish my homework."  
>"Yes now that it all straightened out go ahead and finish. I plan to start dinner but work on it while I prepare it." Getting up he let René be while he got dinner together. He wasn't all that surprised that René decided to stay in the same great because of Michael. Those two were like brothers and it wasn't like if he didn't advance ahead of the other it would hurt René any. He would advance at the same pace as his class and would still be able to get into high school and college. He would still be able to have a bright future so he wasn't worried. René would still have a great life one filled with much more promise than he had.<p>

"Hi Uncle Tamaki is René ready yet?"  
>"Should be. Come in, where is your mom?" Tamaki let Michael into the apartment surprised to not see Sara right behind him.<br>'Mom couldn't go, Abby isn't feeling well. My dad is going though. He is on his way. He was too slow so I ran ahead."  
>"Ah. Well alright then."<br>"Hey Michael." René came out of the bedroom ready to go basically. Putting his bag down he went to the sink to fill his water bottle. Tamaki went back to the door figuring that was Sean. It was the boy's first game and they were more than excited Tamami was hoping to catch the end of it after work. Sara told him the other day that she planned to take pictures and would give him a set; it looked like Sean had the camera since she couldn't go. With René ready the four left the apartment to get going.  
>"So René, any idea what position you'll be playing?"<br>"Yea, I'm shortstop." Looking over at Sean he was told that it was the player between second and third. He was getting better at baseball terms since René started playing but at times he needed a reminder.  
>"That seems super important but I know you'll do great. And what about you Michael?"<br>"Pitcher. Starting pitcher no less."  
>"Very cool. It seems I know two very talented boys."<br>"Major league here we come!"  
>Both boys started cheering before they got close to the field. Seeing the coach they stopped to say hi and bye to their fathers so they could stretch with the other players that already arrived. Since Tamaki had a second he met the coach and heard how René was doing.<br>"Your boy is very dedicated to the sport and the team. He is definitely a team player and a pleasure to have on the team. You should be very proud."  
>"I am, that's great to hear. I worry about him since I work a lot."<br>"Well then let me put your mind to rest, he is a great kid, plays it smart and safe."  
>"That's great to know. Sadly I have to go. Hopefully I'll be able to watch his next game." Saying good-bye to the coach and wishing René good luck he took off. He would have loved to stay though, next game he was staying no matter what.<p>

Tamaki knew he wasn't going to make it back in time to watch the game. He hoped to leave early but he had no one to cover until he was scheduled to leave. Running home he figured René would be here already. It was close to eight- thirty and he had a nine pm curfew. Plus, if Abby was sick Sara probably wouldn't want the boys together at her house.  
>"René?" Turning on a light he was surprised to see the apartment dark. Perhaps Sean took the boys out after the game? Going into the bedroom to he saw René asleep on the bed. At least he changed out of his uniform before passing out. Tucking him in for the night he turned the light off before leaving him alone for the night. That explained why he didn't call the store though. Changing out of his own uniform he went into the living room to watch the news until he fell asleep. Making tea for himself he saw a note on the counter that there was leftover pizza for him in the fridge, must have been from Sean for the boys after the game. Least he wouldn't have to cook. Grabbing a slice he ate it cold while he went back into the living room.<p>

Tamaki could tell René was glad school was out for the summer. He may like school but he loved playing baseball and with no school to worry about he could focus more on the sport. And at least he knew he wasn't getting into trouble while he worked during the day. Not that he did usually but the chances of him doing something he shouldn't have increased during the summer. Before they knew it August was among them as was René's birthday. His little boy was turning nine, unbelievable.  
>"So, birthday dinner thoughts." Tamaki sat in the living room with René happy to be home all day for his birthday. Besides Christmas it was the only day he had off every year. He would save up all year so they could eat out for a change and so he could get René a gift and really make the day special. René deserved it, a day he got to do whatever he wanted with no worries.<br>"Can we go to the buffet that opened near the park?"  
>"Sure, oh and so neither of us forget I got your cake this morning. It's in the fridge. After dinner I'll take it out so it's room temperature."<br>"Okay!" Sliding off the couch he went to the phone to tell his Aunt and Uncle about the dinner plans. He wouldn't have minded just going with his father but knew they invited him out for Michael's birthday so it was only fair.

René was sad to see his birthday ending. He had such a great day with his father. Dinner was great and the cake they had after at the house was his favorite. He loved his Aunt and Uncle but going their separate ways after dinner was fine for him. His father wasn't home all day that often, he wanted to spend the time with him while he could. After they had cake his father gave him his presents, he had no idea how they could afford all of this but knew better then to question it. Opening a box from his father he saw it held a few posters of his favorite baseball players and new action figures from his favorite show.  
>"You like it?"<br>"Thanks father I do!"  
>"I'm so glad to hear it."<br>"Can we put the posters up in my room before I go to bed?"  
>"Sure. I don't see what not."<br>"Awesome!"  
>Seeing such bright eyes and huge smile on his face made his heart want to explode in happiness. He hoped this feeling would last forever and increase this Saturday as he went to watch his game. He hadn't told him yet but he hoped he would be happy by the surprise. He had gone to a few others throughout the season but this Saturday was the last game since the school was starting. He wanted René to understand how much he loved him and he wanted to do things like this more often.<p>

0o0o0o

I'm thinking next chapter will be the last one but I'm not sure exactly. Please review and thanks for reading. Also my mind is not into proofreading so I'm sorry if the job is a mess.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

René didn't dislike this birthday, far from it, but it did depress him. His birthday meant the end of summer and the end of baseball with the return of school. Some schools played in the fall, sadly his school didn't even have a team so this weekend would be his last game of the season. Apparently the team he was on wasn't allowed to play during the fall so the high schools could use the field for their practices and games. The good thing was that he was definitely playing again next year and Michael was in his class this year. After the amazing summer he had he hoped this school year would be just as good. He didn't want to get his hopes up though because he knew the let down would be harsh.  
>"René are you ready yet? If we don't hurry the store will close."<br>"Yea, I'm ready, sorry." Pushing off his bed he met his father at the bedroom doorway. They were going out so he could get new shoes for school. They didn't have the money to get all new clothes bur he desperately needed new shoes. Tamaki saw they were falling apart the other day and got upset that he hadn't mentioned it sooner. They weren't loaded with money but his son shouldn't go around looking like a slob. He could get him new shoes and clothes that fit, luckily though René hadn't grown that much so his clothes still fit nicely. If not they would have had to get the shoes one day and the clothes the next week since he didn't really have the money for both.

Tamaki could tell René didn't want to go out. He was ready to get the first pair that fit and he refused to agree with that. There was no reason to do so, they were in no rush. René wanted to hurry so his father could relax. He had just gotten home from work before they went out. Not to mention he really didn't want to spend his father's money. Sure his shoes were a mess but his toes weren't sticking out so he could still wear them. He grabbed the first cheaper pair he could find in his size and threw them on.  
>"These fit." Showing Tamaki he let him see.<br>"René your toes feel squished why don't we try a bigger size and are you sure about this style?"  
>"It's fine."<br>"What's wrong René? I know you weren't crazy about this but you really needed something new."  
>"It's fine."<br>Well so much for that. God he hated this, this whole, barely caring attitude. He could tell something was bugging him but he refused to say it. Why? They never really got into arguments so why would he never talk much?  
>"What about these? I don't see the others in a bigger size I guess they are sold out."<br>"Okay." Taking the other pair from Tamaki he kicked off the current pair and slipped them on. These were pretty cool looking; they had strips of green across the side which was his favorite color.  
>"Oh hey, René what about these? These have baseballs on them." Glad they caught his eye he brought them over for René to check out. Maybe these would get some sort of reaction from him.<br>"They are cool, can I try them on?"  
>"Of course. I think I grabbed the right size." It seemed to work, he got a "they are cool" from him, that was something. "Do they fit?" Kneeling down he waited for René to finish tying them so he could check.<br>"I think so." Giving him his foot he let his father check to see if he had any room in his toes. "You seem to have some growing room. Walk to the end of the aisle and back and see how they feel." Doing as he was told he got off the bench to see how they felt.  
>"So?"<br>"They feel good."  
>"Do you like them?"<br>"Yea."  
>He seemed generally happy which was a good thing. Having him change back into his old shoes they paid and left the store.<p>

Coming back to the apartment Tamaki got started on dinner. He was starving and would have eaten before but he feared they wouldn't get to the store in time. René put his new shoes in the bedroom before lending a hand. He could hear his father's stomach on the walk back. They probably would have eaten out if they had the money so he could have eaten sooner. This was when René really wished he was old enough to work. Then they could have the money for things like eating out or ordering in. His father worked all day then took him out, and now he had to cook dinner. He wouldn't even get to relax long since he insisted on helping him with his homework. If he said he didn't need it he wouldn't listen. All he wanted was for his father to take it easy for once but would he listen? No of course not. He also knew that he didn't sleep all that well on the loveseat.  
>"René, you alright kiddo?" Tamaki watched as René stood in front of the sink just standing there.<br>"What? Yea I'm fine." Finishing what he was doing he left Tamaki wondering what happened. He had noticed that René was spacing out more and more lately. A part of him figured it was normal, the other part debated if something was wrong and if he should take him to a doctor to be looked at. He would hate to do nothing and find out it was something serious. Hearing the timer go off he tossed it around while he finished dinner. After he ate something he could think about it more.

Tamaki was glad he got to go see René's last game of the season. He always enjoyed watching him play and seeing how focused he was on the field made him happy. He could tell René really enjoyed the game and was glad he joined. Sitting with Sean, Sara, and Abby they cheered the boys on as the team scored another run. Both of their boys did well when it was there turn up to bat. Tamaki knew it was too early but he believed René could have a future in baseball if he stuck to it. He would only get better the longer he played and he seemed to really enjoy it. If course he would make sure he stayed in school and graduated from college but he could pursue making a career out of this if he so desired. Watching René come up to bat again he was on his feet as he hit it down the field. He was so proud of him; even if he wasn't a great player he would still be proud though.

After the game everyone went out for ice cream to celebrate winning their last game of the season. René was happy his father could come watch, only he wished he wouldn't cheer so loud. It was nice but a little embarrassing. Not heading straight home he was shocked when they joined Sara and Sean for ice cream. This was something they didn't do that often at all. He was excited to go but again felt strange that his father was spending money on something that wasn't an essential. Ordering they all sat around and joked with each other, happy to be spending the time all together, seeing René joking and laughing brightened Tamaki's mood as well. He still thought René had a beautiful smile and he loved to see it. When they finished they parted ways so the boys could shower and get out of their uniforms. The one good thing about the season ending was Tamaki didn't have to wash his uniform anymore. It was a pain to wash since René could have it covered in field dust sometimes.

With school back in session Tamaki didn't feel so bad working so much. He still hated it but at least René wasn't home alone most of the day. It helped too that he decided to join some clubs the school offered so that decreased the time René spent alone even more. While he still hung out with Michael some days he knew René was getting tired of going there every day for hours. Nothing was helping him work less hours though as a few of their bills increased which tightened the already tight budget. Hopefully René wouldn't find out because he seemed to become quieter and more independent when he did. The boy was nine he shouldn't be doing any of that.

With the weather changing René was staying at Michael's after school instead of going straight home. He wasn't sure how to turn the heat on or even if he should and he still wasn't allowed to use the stove. Not to mention that he still hated being home. He would hang out with Michael until his father was getting out of work and then would meet him at home. Again it didn't help that much or make his thoughts over being home any easier but he tried to believe it might. The good thing would be that Christmas was coming up soon and he enjoyed spending the day with his father along with his Aunt and Uncle. He also got the day off so he had one day to relax all day and seeing how exhausted he was looking he could use it. Coming into the house he noticed the lights didn't turn on. Fantastic, his father couldn't pay the electric bill again. Good thing they had canned foods like soup and the stove could be lit by a match. His father would probably feel terrible like he always did when they shut off something for not paying. _He _would scream though if his father apologized like he tended to do when this happened. Making his way carefully to the bedroom he dropped his school bag and searched for the flashlight they kept in here. It should be right next to the dresser. "Ah-ha found it!" Clicking the button he made sure it worked before going into the living room. Tonight would be interesting it looked like.

"René, I'm home." Entering the apartment Tamaki noticed everything was dark. Perhaps René was still at Sara's. "René?"  
>"I'm in the living room." Turning on the flashlight he brought it over to Tamaki so he could hang his coat up.<br>"Why don't you have the lights on?"  
>"They won't turn on. Did they shut our power off again?" He didn't mean it as a question but didn't want his harsh tone to hurt his father.<br>"No I paid that I'm sure of it. Let me change and I'll figure out what's going on." Together they walked into the bedroom so they could share the light. "Have you been home long?"  
>"No more than a half hour, the usual."<br>"That's good; I would hate to have you deal with this for a long time while I was working." Quickly changing he left the room to dig up the electric bill for the phone number. René sat near him already figuring what it was that was wrong but thought he should be close. Hanging up Tamaki sighed not liking the current situation but knowing there was nothing he could do about it.  
>"So according to the electric company there as a transformer fire and from it power was lost in the area."<br>"Any idea when it will be fixed?"  
>"They said not for a day at least. With that we need to run out and get ice to keep things in the fridge from going bad. I'll cook dinner after that for us alright?"<br>"Okay." Tamaki felt bad for René knowing he had homework to finish and with only a flashlight and a few candles it wouldn't be easy. They would figure something out though but right now they had to go out for ice. Losing the food in the fridge would not be a good thing.

When the power came back on two days later Tamaki was thrilled. He was able to save most of the cold items and cook up what probably wouldn't last. What really made him happy was just the fact that they had power again. He knew René thought it was from not paying the bill, though he never accused him of it. He probably figured he was lying since it seemed to happen around the holidays it seemed. For once he would like to not have to worry about money and Christmas. René probably became so guarded because he was preparing himself for when he would say that he couldn't really do it this year; although, he never had to say no to having a Christmas before. He would have to show René that was nothing to worry about, no problem, he was sure he could do that. He would do anything for him after all.

René woke up Christmas morning surprised to say the very least. He couldn't believe Michael was right, Santa was real and incredible. He had started to have doubts but seeing actual presents under the tree was unreal.  
>"Merry Christmas René. You know the drill, coffee first. Do you want hot chocolate?"<br>"Merry Christmas father and okay."  
>"Milk or water?"<br>"Mmmm milk. Do we have marshmallows?"  
>"I think so." Together they got drinks ready before going into the living room to open presents. Tamaki was beyond words at seeing the glow on René's face. This was what he lived for, seeing the happiness on his face. After René opened a few things he jumped up from the floor remembering something and ran into the bedroom.<br>"René?" Running back in he was thrust a gift.  
>"This is for you. I hope you like it." He had hid it under the bed and nearly forgot about it. Taking it from René he opened it to see a coffee mug he had designed just for him.<br>"Wow, thank you René. Did you make this at school?"  
>"Yea, at the holiday fair. It was at one of the booths and I wasn't sure what you would have wanted."<br>"Well thank you. I really like it." Taking a closer look he tried to figure out what was written around the cup. Every year René gave him really great gifts that he made at school it was unbelievable.  
>"Your welcome."<p>

Around two they started to head over to Sara's for dinner as they did every year. Tamaki always found it strange that she never had their families over. She said it was because Sean's parents lived too far and refused to come the distance and she refused to make her kids travel to them on Christmas. And as for her own parents she never said. As much as he loved going there if she wanted to spend the day with family he would cook and stay home with René. He didn't want to hold them back. He did enjoy having them all together though. Everyone filled the house with laughter and love. Not to mention René was all smiles as he played with Michael and even Abby.

The next day Tamaki ran from the restaurant to his next job. He was running late thanks to not being able to clock out on time. It was a good thing the convenient store wasn't too far from the restaurant though it was far enough. Standing at the corner he waited for the light to change so he could cross. The bakery close by smelt so good, it reminded him of Mirabelle and Denis's bakery. Thinking about it he should really go say hi soon. He hadn't seen them in years and he had been close to them back then. He needed more free time; there was so much he had to do, so many he had to see that helped him throughout the years. Seeing the light change he ran across and down the street unaware that someone was now following him. Knowing the street the store was on was still being worked on he ran inside the mall to cut across and come out at the back entrance of the store. The one following him ran into the mall moments later, out of breath and disappointed they lost who they were trying to catch up too.

Rough nights equaled rough mornings, this was a concept Tamaki was very familiar with. He was cutting across the street, walking briskly trying to check his watch. He got René to Sara's a little later than he usually did and was now running behind. He didn't need to run but he couldn't drag his feet either. Being late was not an option. If he was he could be fired and that would help nothing right now. He was already having trouble paying his bills thanks to cut hours from his afternoon job. He did not want to have to worry about not having enough to put aside for rent. Crossed to the other side he looked down at his watch since it was a straight line from here to the restaurant. Not paying attention he didn't see someone pull open a door to a coffee shop and was hit in the face by it.  
>"Ow, ow, ow, that's what I get for running late and not paying attention." Covering his face he hoped he wasn't bleeding, or that he didn't just break his nose.<br>"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Feeling hands on his own they were moved so the other could see his face.  
>"Tamaki?"<br>Tamaki's eyes went wide as he stared at the face in front of him. He would recognize that face anywhere, he saw almost the same one every day.  
>"Kyouya, is that really you? Wha…what are you doing here?" Why was he in the country? More importantly what was he doing here, so close to where he lived?<br>"I'm here on business. I should be asking the same thing to you." Tamaki could feel his heart racing hearing Kyouya's voice again. He wanted to tell him everything but knew now wasn't the time and here wasn't the place.  
>"Look I gotta get to work before my boss kills me. Give me your arm." Pulling out a marker he used for work he wrote his address on Kyouya's arm semi-surprised he actually gave it to him. "I get out at six; you can meet me here since I doubt you know how to get around much. But, if you do you have my address to my house."<br>"I'll see what I can do."  
>Capping the marker he took off down the street to get to work on time. Coming into the back entrance he made it just in time. His heart still raced at the thought of speaking to Kyouya after so long.<br>"Tamaki lets' move, its busy here!"  
>"Yes sir." He had to push Kyouya to the back of his mind for now. Hopefully after work they would meet up and talk. Maybe he would tell him what he should have told him ten years ago. Hopefully if he did learn the truth he wouldn't get mad and leave. Hopefully René wouldn't hate him once he met his birth father. This was the day he had been waiting for for years but now he was terrified by it. His world could fall apart harder than he could ever imagine by the truth being exposed after so long.<p>

At six Tamaki took off his apron and punched out. He hoped Kyouya wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes since he never really got out on time. At least he wasn't running super late, he didn't want Kyouya to think he ditched him. Actually he wasn't even sure that he would be waiting for him. Coming down the street he saw Kyouya there and ran up to him wishing his heart would stop trying to beat out of his chest and the butterflies in his stomach to calm down.  
>"Sorry, I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."<br>"No, your fine."  
>"Ready to go then?"<br>Together they moved down the street not saying a word to each other. They could feel how awkward the air around them was. It had been over ten years since they last saw each other and it wasn't like they left on normal terms, he ran away not saying a word to Kyouya about why. Shoving his hands into his pockets he tried to settle his nerves, not knowing what would happen once Kyouya learned why he left Japan in the first place. After not seeing him in so long, after dreaming about him at night, after dreaming about this moment he didn't want his mistakes to make this the last.  
>"How is your face?"<br>Tamaki felt his face blush and his ears heighten their senses at hearing Japanese. He was glad he spoke it at times with René, though it wasn't the language they spoke most often.  
>"It's okay, hurts a little but it's fine." He could tell Kyouya relaxed a little hearing him answer him in Japanese. It seemed someone was still not that great in French.<br>"I'm really sorry about that."  
>"Don't worry about it. I wasn't paying attention either." Leading them up the stairs to the apartment he could feel himself start to sweat as he pulled out his house key. His blanket and pillow were still on the loveseat and he had dirty dishes in the sink. Not to mention the apartment wasn't the best in the world.<br>"I need to apologize for the mess, I haven't been home much to clean."  
>"It's fine don't worry about it."<br>Opening the door he let him in trying to act natural, that he had come over all the time, He could tell Kyouya was checking the place out while trying hard not to. Trying to picture Kyouya was Sara he slid in next to him and closed the front door. Out of habit he re-locked it.  
>"Here give me your coat, sit, relax, do you want something?"<br>"No, I'm okay thanks." Gesturing him towards the living room he hung up their coats in the closet. Joining him he sat in the recliner across from him and saw he was sitting half off the cushion to avoid the blanket. Quickly getting back up he moved the blanket and pillow so Kyouya could sit back and relax.  
>"Sorry, if I work late I usually end up falling asleep on the couch watching TV."<br>"Stop apologizing it's fine."  
>Tamaki sat back down on the recliner to exhale happy that Kyouya was still understanding.<br>"Why did you leave Tamaki?"  
>He knew that was coming, Kyouya never was one to beat around the bush. It was better to get to the point right away though, no point in dodging it. He could already tell he figured out he ran away and how his actions hurt Kyouya deeply. They were madly in love back then, Kyouya deserved his answer. Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth to tell him.<p>

0o0o0o0o0o0o  
>Please review I'm about half way with the new chapter already. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.<br>~Femalefighter~


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

**Disclaimer- **I own nothing!

"Why did you leave Tamaki?"  
>He knew that was coming, Kyouya was never one to beat around the bush. It was better to get to the point right away though, no point in dodging it. He could already tell he figured out he ran away and how his actions hurt him deeply. They were madly in love back then, Kyouya deserved his answer. Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth to tell him.<br>"Because I needed to get out of Japan, I couldn't take it anymore."  
>"You couldn't tell me? We had planned our future one day and the next you're gone and no one can find you. Your father called me telling me to have you come home and when I told him I hadn't seen you he called the authorities. We didn't know what happened to you so he assumed you were kidnapped, we both did. My father's men searched all over Japan for you. When they told us they couldn't find any trace of you and that signs in your room pointed to a runaway I didn't believe them. For the last ten years I've searched for you. I loved you Tamaki I would have left with you."<br>"I know you would have. I loved you too, I probably still love you, but I knew why I left and I don't regret it." Both jumped at a knock at the door.  
>"I forgot my key!" Tamaki stood up to answer the door, he knew what came next would forever change his life, for better or worse he wasn't sure yet. Letting René in he told him quietly they had a guest. Keeping him close he went back into the living room. This was it; there was no turning back now.<p>

"Kyouya, there is someone I want you to meet."  
>Seeing him focus back on him he forced the words out. "Kyouya…this is your son." He could tell his mind went blank as the words processed in his brain.<br>"My son?"  
>"René, this is your father. Your birth father. Kyouya I think he looks like you so don't question it. I mean aside from him having my eyes, he has your hair color and you face, only younger."<br>René stared at Kyouya as Kyouya stared at him. This was his birth father? But how? Looking up at Tamaki he said, "but you told me you were my father."  
>"I know, I have a lot to explain to you. I promise you I will later." He pulled away from Tamaki, who was still holding his shoulders, and went into the bedroom. Tamaki watched him slam the door before he crashed back into the recliner. "Fan…tastic. You know he has your attitude as well as your looks."<br>"I would be upset too if I was him. What have you been telling him the past ten years, that I left you or that something happened to me?"  
>"He isn't ten yet, he just turned nine back in August. August thirty-first to be exact, and no, I avoided the subject mostly. I told him that you loved both of us but things prevented us from being all together."<br>"Yea, you. I can't believe you never contacted me. I would have been there for you. I should have been there for you, for _our _son."  
>"I did what I had to."<br>"No, you didn't. You left; you never said a word you just left. You assumed that everyone would abandon you so you left before we could is that it? I would have taken care of you."  
>"I know you would have taken care of me and I didn't want that."<br>"So what, I was good enough to love you before you got pregnant but I wasn't good enough after? I wasn't good enough to love our son!"  
>"No, that's not it. Don't go there!"<p>

René stood near the bedroom door to hear their conversation. The more he heard the more he realized his entire life was built on lies. It sounded like the one his father introduced as his birth father didn't even know he existed, so he didn't leave him, and what about his birth mother? How did the one he called father become responsible for him? But something didn't make sense, his birth father kept saying, "I would have taken care of you," had they been together before he was born? And he kept saying _our_ son, so was he related to both of them, but how? Nothing made sense anymore; he didn't know what was the truth anymore. He stayed near the door even as they grew louder in the living room. He didn't want them to know he was listening but he feared his birth father would get so mad and leave and if that happened he wanted to go after him. He wanted to ask him so much; he wanted to ask him things he felt he couldn't ask his "father" about. He couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be lied to again. The one thing that really upset him though was knowing the man that raised him over worked himself so they could barely survive and he didn't even have to. He chose to live this way, why, why would he choose to live his life this way? He was angry with him, yet he felt bad for feeling this way since he didn't know the whole story.

"Then why can't I help you? Is there someone else in your life?"  
>"No, there isn't. There hasn't been anyone since you. Have you found someone else?"<br>"No, there isn't. No one can replace you. Since you're alone then why can't I help you? You know I would, I would come here if you didn't want to go back to Japan and if you did then we could put that dream we had into motion finally."  
>"I can't agree to that. I left because I knew that if I told you I was pregnant you would have done anything for me. I didn't want that then so why would I agree to it now.'<br>"Tamaki don't do this. Don't push me away, this could be why René hates you."  
>"He doesn't hate me. That really hurts you know that, when did you become a jerk? We aren't as close as I would have hoped but I know he loves me. I work a lot to support us so I'm not home as much as I would like that's all."<br>"Then let me help you. I can make it so you don't have to work as much if at all. How many jobs do you have anyway?"  
>"Three. I work Monday thru Thursday, seven to three most days then I run over to one of the convenience stores I work at, where I am three-thirty to eight-thirty. On the weekends I pull an eight hour shift at the other store. Today I have off from the store so I picked up a longer shift at the restaurant."<br>"When do you sleep because you look exhausted?"  
>Tamaki knew he looked exhausted, he felt it but he refused to let Kyouya see the truth. Not to mention that he was exhausted from not sleeping all that well these past few days.<br>"I sleep don't worry about it."

Tamaki knew he should tell Kyouya everything, all that had gone on these past ten years. Have him understand where he was coming from but he couldn't. If Kyouya learned of what he had done he may become totally disgusted and leave, he wasn't even trying to think about the fact that René may over hear it and become ashamed. He never wanted René to learn about what he did to survive when he was still a baby.  
>"Tamaki please, let me support you and René. I want to be there for you now because I couldn't before. I love you Tamaki, let me into your life again. Let us be just as we were before."<br>"Please stop Kyouya. We haven't seen each other in such a long time I don't want to keep arguing with you. Can we enjoy this time we have together?"  
>"…I'm sorry. What made you chose to use your name?"<br>Sitting back in their chairs both tried to relax. Neither wanted this time together to end poorly or be the last one they ever had. Hearing Kyouya's question Tamaki smiled glad to hear him ask and that he remembered René was part of his own name.  
>"I needed a name after he was born and mine was the only one I could think of that was French. I thought it would be easier for us if his name was French but I used your name for his middle name. René Kyouya Suoh, I think it sounds pretty good together."<br>"It does, I like it. Tamaki you're not going to keep him from me are you? Let me help you take care of René."  
>"Just be part of his life. I don't want your money so stop trying to give it to me."<br>"Tamaki, I am so lost by you. Why can't I help you take a load off?"  
>"Because I've got it! I didn't need you then and I don't need you know!"<br>"Oh no don't you dare pull that shit! You know damn well I would have been there for you had I known! I would have helped you as soon as you told me. I didn't know I even had a son to take care of until ten minutes ago!"  
>"Then don't take care of him and just leave!"<br>"Shut up both of you before the neighbors complain!"

René yelled at both of them from the bedroom doorway. He had sort of stopped listening as they became hard to hear but when they started yelling again he stepped in. He didn't want his birth father to leave yet, not while he still had questions. Heading towards the kitchen he could tell both were watching him, though not with eyes that were mad that he stepped in. Tamaki watched him with sad eyes that he had to hear them fighting, this wasn't what he wanted to happen at all.  
>"René, I'm sorry, you're right. We are being silly. It's just that your father and I haven't seen each other in so long that we aren't thinking straight so we are arguing. We should all be together talking not yelling. Why not sit on the loveseat with your father. I bet he wants to know all about you."<p>

Nervously he sat down beside him and stared at the cup of water he grabbed from the kitchen. It felt strange to sit next to the man that was his father only to never have met him before. He had questions but was scared to ask them. He knew nothing about this man, what type of person he was. He wasn't even sure if he actually cared to know anything about him. Knowing they had spoken Japanese before he walked in he switched to that as Kyouya started to ask him about school, what he thought of it, how he did in it, favorite subjects. Then he asked about sports, if he ever played any, what, if any sports he followed. As he asked about friends, hobbies, what he did every day, his dream for the future, everything René knew he really wanted to know. He was absorbing all of it and committing his answers to memory.

As it got later René got an idea, if it worked he could get some of his wanted answers tonight.  
>"Father, can I stay with…father tonight?"<br>"Sure, if he doesn't mind. But, René he is staying at a hotel on business so he may not have a space for you." Tamaki was happy to see René so accepting of Kyouya. He answered all his questions truthfully and now wanted to spend the night with him; this was good for both of them. They could learn more about the other this way.  
>"If you can show me where to buy a roll out futon we will be all good."<br>René looked at Kyouya happy he agreed but didn't know what he was talking about.  
>"He means something along the lines of an air mattress."<p>

Seeing it was getting late René ran into the bedroom to grab some clothes for the night and tomorrow. He was excited to spend tonight with his real father and maybe learn why he was he was never around until now. Tamaki and Kyouya exchanged phone numbers and the hotel he was staying at just in case they had to call.  
>"I want to be a part of his life. I'll do whatever I have to so that can happen."<br>"I know, how long you are here for?"  
>"I leave Friday night."<br>"Okay, we'll have to get together before you leave. Listen, I work late, probably past the time you get done with your meetings so why not spend time with him. I wrote down the address he stays when I'm at work so I can tell them that you will pick him up and you two can spend the day. Just leave me a message here so I know."  
>"Okay, I will do that. Does your mother know that you've been here all this time?"<br>"No, no one from my family knows. Please don't tell them either, at least not until we talk more."  
>"Alright, I won't say a word."<br>René walked out of the bedroom with a duffel bag and met them by the front door.  
>"Ready to go? You're going to have to help me get to the store because I have noooo idea."<br>"I've got it covered father, I know all the routes."  
>"Yea René here loves to explore and scare me."<br>René rolled his eyes at the comment. He really didn't want to hear anything from the one that lied to him his whole life. He felt so hurt and betrayed by him. Opening the door he walked out first followed by Kyouya.  
>"So he takes after you then Tamaki is what you're saying, oh, where should I bring him tomorrow?"<br>"I'll pick him up before you're meeting." Following the other two outside he hugged René tightly, even though René tried to push him away. "Have fun and drive him nuts." With that he watched them until they were out of sight. He couldn't believe those two had finally met and all things considered the meeting went well.

Going back inside he laid out his blanket and pillow so he could relax. After all this time he still loved Kyouya, how could he really not though. When Kyouya said he wanted them all together his whole body brimmed with happiness, yet he could tell he still had doubts. Could he only be doing this so they could get back together? Did he really want to be a part of René's life? He seemed to take the news better than he thought, but if they did get back together would he still care about the son he recently learned about? He didn't think he would use René like that but he never knew. Kyouya had always been a manipulator when he wanted something and had no real qualms about who he affected in doing so. Then again this was their son he was talking about and it had been ten years since they last saw each other he could have changed. It was still too early to make any big decisions. He would have to really take his time and see how things went from here. And besides, all of that though he really didn't want Kyouya to leave his life behind. Still, what was he doing to his son? It seemed that no matter how hard he tried René was still barely talking to him anymore. And after tonight he could tell he no longer trusted him which tore apart any relationship they still had. Kyouya was right, René probably did hate him. He was ruining his son's life; maybe he should just go live with Kyouya. He could probably take better care of him, and he seemed happy and accepting of Kyouya. The more he thought about it the more he was sure Kyouya would really love and be good for René. He always said Kyouya would make an excellent father. For the first time in a long time he cried over the unknown.

Taking Kyouya to the only store open they picked up an air mattress and headed towards the hotel. The entire trip they talked about different things. René got to learn a little more about Japan and how Kyouya lived while René spoke about France. Kyouya could tell he didn't want to talk about home too much, he would say very little or nothing at all. That was fine they still only just met each other a few hours ago and it wasn't like Tamaki ever told René about him. They would get there though he was sure of it. He would get René to trust and open up to him, he wanted him to understand that now that they met he was never stepping out of his life. He had slowly started to understand why Tamaki did what he did and from that he couldn't stay mad at him, he had always been one to look out for others no matter what it did to him.

Entering the hotel room René put his bag down near the closet and sat on the bed.  
>"You can have the bed; I'll take the blow up."<br>"Oh wow it's so soft. Father you didn't have to buy another bed this one is so big it would have worked for both of us."  
>He had learned about what he did for a living but had no clue how well he lived. He felt bad that he wasted money on something he didn't need.<br>"I wasn't sure if you were comfortable with that idea. To be honest with you I'm surprised you wanted to stay with me. And I'm even more surprised to hear you call me father already."  
>"I want to know my real father and what should I call you? Father said I carry your name right? Kyouya?" He didn't care that his real father heard the anger in his voice over what the person he had lived with for years did to him. It did feel strange to still be calling him father when he really wasn't but he wasn't sure what else to call him.<br>"You do, he got your middle name from my name and father is fine."  
>René moved his legs so Kyouya could sit next to him while the air mattress was blowing up.<br>"You know, a roll out futon is much easier and takes less time."  
>"Do you think I can see Japan with you one day?"<br>"I am hoping so, I have plenty of room at my house for you and your father. My goal is to have you both come live with me permanently, does that sound okay to you?"  
>"Yes!"<br>"Good to hear."

René was so glad he decided to spend the night here. He was having fun learning about his father, about his life in Japan, about how he grew up, what he did for fun; all of it was interesting to learn. He was sad when it had gotten late and they had to go to bed. He had offered to take the blow up but Kyouya said it was fine and he didn't mind. It felt strange but he wasn't going to argue with him, he would stick to one side of the bed though in case Kyouya changed his mind. Staring at the ceiling, he couldn't fall asleep it seemed. He had too much on his mind after all that happened earlier in the evening. Sitting up he wondered if his father was still up so he could ask him something.  
>"Do you need something?" He saw him sit up as well, that helped.<br>"Why aren't you and my father together? I know he still loves you. Though you seem to fight a lot."  
>"Your father is complex, when it comes to things like this especially. And René this is actually the first time we have fought, we never did before."<br>Grabbing his knees René dropped his head to them, great he was the reason they were fighting. Feeling his father sit next to him and wrap his arms around him René closer to him.  
>"Us arguing means that we both love you very much and only want what's best, I'm sorry that we did before and I know he is too. We weren't thinking and I was taken off guard by learning that you were my son. Something I am very proud of. I want you to know that I would have been there for you like I am now if I knew."<br>"But you love him?"  
>"I do René, since before you were born."<br>"I know he loves you too. He doesn't know it but when things are tough I hear him cry at night. I could hear him cry your name. Before I didn't know it was you, I have never heard your name before when it wasn't mine and hearing father say it I know now he was talking about you."  
>"How tough has it been for you?"<br>"I'm not sure other than father making sure he doesn't lose any of his jobs. If he does we may have to move again."  
>"How many times have you moved?"<br>"I only remember three times. I hate were we live now so moving again wouldn't bother me. I hate it because father sleeps on the couch so I can get the bedroom since it can't hold two beds if we want a place for our clothes. Father has been working for as long as I can remember so we can live together. He fears that the government will step in if he can't keep us in an apartment. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, I love him, he is the only family I knew of. He has raised me by himself since I was born."  
>"Don't worry I'm going to help change that René mark my words. I will. We will be a family."<br>René felt his chin lifted to look see the determination in his father's eyes. Tears started to pool under his eyes.  
>"I want to believe you but I can't, I don't want to see father get hurt again. People loved to take advantage of him at our old place. I can't watch him cry anymore."<br>"I won't let him cry, not alone and not for things I can control. Do you believe me when I say that?"  
>Those eyes, he was speaking the truth he just knew it.<br>"I believe you father."  
>"Good, now come on let's get you back to bed. I don't want your father to get mad at me for keeping you up all night."<br>As he got him back under the covers René asked him one last question, one that he needed answered before he fell asleep.  
>"I have one more question. If you're my father then what is the person I have called father for all these years? Are we even related?"<br>"Yes, we are all related. I am your father and he is your…mother it looks like."

0o0o0o

Told him I was working on this chapter. I haven't started the next one and probably won't get that started till Sunday because my hand is really hurting. Please review and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

**Disclaimer-**I own nothing!

René woke up when he rolled over and felt so much space beside him. Forgetting he spent the night with his dad his body panicked knowing this wasn't his bed and much softer than Michael's floor. Remembering where he was after a moment he relaxed and looked around to see his dad still sleeping. Seeing it was almost eight he reached for the TV remote to watch cartoons or something while his dad slept. He could mute it so he didn't wake him up. Unable to get the mute button to work he lowered the volume and moved to the foot of the bed to watch. He was doing his best not to laugh so hard, maybe this wasn't the best idea.  
>"Good morning René sleep well?" Sitting up he watched his dad join him on the bed.<br>"I did father, do you sleep on something this soft all the time?"  
>"I do, please tell me you sleep on a bed."<br>"I do, but nothing this soft."  
>"Okay good. And you don't have to be so formal with me, calling me dad is fine too."<br>"Okay! Can you tell me what Japan is like? Father says it's nice but their ideas aren't something he wants me to know." If he could call his birth father "dad" then that would be great. He would get really confused to call both of his parents father. He thought about calling his father by his proper title, but mother sounded strange to him.  
>"Why don't you get ready for today and I'll show you pictures of Japan and where I live and my job."<br>"Really? Okay, cool!" Sliding off the bed he went to change out of his pajamas.

"You really work here?"  
>"I do, this is the family company. It was my grandfathers and then my father took over and then it became my older brothers as well as mine. My older brothers, your uncles, own a larger percent of it but since I was only supposed to work under them I'll take what I got."<br>"So what do you do?"  
>"We run hospitals in Japan and supply companies as well as health resorts. I am here this week to try and build a health resort here in France. I may get to be in charge of more if your grandfather ever steps down the rest of the way. You know the company could be yours one day if you wanted it."<br>"Really? I could get the company?"  
>"Well you are my son so as long as you do well in school I say yes."<br>"Cool!" That would be awesome, to run an entire company, and one that had been in the family for generations. He never would have gotten a chance like that here.  
>"Want to see my house?" René moved closer again to look at the laptop screen. His eyes went wide as he saw it.<br>"This is your entire house! It's huge, I don't think I have ever seen a house this big here before!"  
>"It is and you get to stay there with me whenever you come to visit."<br>"Why doesn't father want to live with you? You have everything! Father wouldn't have to work so much and we could all be a family."  
>"I can only guess as to why he doesn't accept my offer René. But, I am going to find out soon." <p>

René looked at some other pictures stored on the laptop while Kyouya showered and got ready for his meeting.  
>"Hey René, can you do me a favor and order us room service? If you haven't already guessed my French isn't the best and I don't know what you like." Kyouya yelled from the bathroom as he tied his tie. Having René right now could really work to his advantage.<br>"Sure thing dad." Getting off the bed he looked around for some information on room service. He had never ordered it before and wasn't sure how it worked really. Finding a card with a number that said "room service" he guessed that was it. Picking up the phone he dialed the number to see what happened next.  
>"Dad, what room is this?" René stopped heading towards the bathroom as Kyouya was leaving.<br>"Uh, two-ninety-seven." Checking the welcome card he received when he checked-in he read it off to René who repeated it over the phone, only in French.  
>"The breakfast platter variety okay?" René whispered to Kyouya who nodded trusting he would like it no matter what. "It will be up shortly."<br>Hanging up the phone René joined him back on the bed.  
>"How come you don't speak French?"<br>"Because I am Japanese. I was taught it in high school but it was never enforced in my home. Your father used to quiz me all the time but when he left that stopped. And I speak it, enough to get through this meeting and order food. I'm just not that confident in it."  
>"Oh. Why did my father leave Japan? And you?"<br>"Well, because he was pregnant with you."

Tamaki was happy to hear that René had a good time. He was glad they got along so well and were accepting of the other. Getting ready to leave so he could drop René off at Sara's and head to work he felt Kyouya stop him.  
>"My meeting ends at three, if you work after call out. And before you say you can't afford to I'll pay you whatever the amount is you miss so you don't suffer from it. But, we need to talk before I spend any more time with René. If not he'll try to leave with me on Friday and I can tell you'll let him though it won't be reasons I like."<br>Tamaki pulled away and slowly agreed. He didn't like the idea of calling out, Kyouya was right, he needed the rent money. Even still, he wasn't ready to give up René yet. Deep down he wanted this, to spend time with Kyouya after so long, to be alone with him again. He missed talking to him for all these years. He would meet up with him today. And they would talk, about everything, about René, and about them.

When they got to Sara's he told her what was going on and if René could spend a little longer here tonight. Her face lit up about the mention of René's father, she knew Tamaki had dreamt about this.  
>"Go, go and talk everything out. Don't worry about René he'll be fine here. He can even spend the night if you need him too."<br>"I don't think that will be necessary but thanks."  
>"Tamaki, that was years ago, you were young and trying to survive you can't let that stop you from finding happiness."<br>"Even so, I can't forgive myself for what I did. Besides that though I'm not planning to let things get that far, not yet anyway."  
>"True, you never want to go all the way on the first date." She smiled as his eyes went wide. Date? He hadn't thought about tonight as a date. Could it be though? Could it be Kyouya's way of showing him he still cared? Oh crap, he wasn't ready for a date, or even dressed for one.<p>

All day he worried about tonight, about what Kyouya could possibly be planning. At lunch he called his cell hoping he could talk for a minute. Telling him René was staying at a friend's so they could talk he asked if they could meet at the same spot they met yesterday and if it would be okay for him to change really quickly. Making an excuse of having soda spill on him and though it came out he felt sticky he was happy he said it was fine and that he learned of this really good restaurant that they could try. Now he was really glad he would be changing out of his uniform, he got the feeling Sara's idea of tonight being a date wasn't too far off. If it was then, oh god, he would be going on his first date with Kyouya, ever. They had never gone out before, they couldn't. Back then they were dating in secret and couldn't run the risk of being seen. How he dreamed of going out with him back then, and now his heart was fluttering at the thought of finally getting the chance too.

Work was terrible; his mind was all over the place thinking about tonight. Luckily his boss wasn't in so he didn't know how much he kept messing up; he would have been in so much trouble if he knew. Seeing Kyouya waiting for him he hoped he didn't have a stupid look on his face. He didn't want Kyouya to know what he was thinking if he happened to be wrong.  
>"Sorry about this, I'll only be a minute I promise."<br>"Take your time, I made a reservation because I wasn't sure if I had to but I made it for four."  
>"Oh, well, still, I just want to get out of these clothes. I feel like they smell like the restaurant."<p>

Tamaki sat across from Kyouya, neither said a word to each other. He was trying to keep it together, god he hoped he wasn't blushing like an idiot or anything. It didn't help that Kyouya decided to eat at the best restaurant in the city. He had to have pulled some strings to eat here on such short notice and get a great spot. But, he was really glad he changed clothes before coming here. He would have been embarrassed in his uniform. Kyouya was in a business suit, that was acceptable, cheap pants and shirt, weren't so much. He was glad his old suit still fit. He had debated the tie or not and was glad he did, this place definitely called for one. He had bought it when he was still seeing Brandon since he had the money to replace the one he brought from Japan. They hadn't been here long but he already felt like he was on cloud nine.

Something was wrong though, he was still guarded. They were laughing; he was having a great time so why couldn't he relax? He dreamed of this moment for ten years, so why couldn't he really enjoy it? Why did he suddenly want to leave? Was it because of his past?  
>"Tamaki, can you tell me what this is?" Seeing Kyouya point to something on the menu he tried not to laugh too hard at him. His lacking French skills were cute.<br>"It's lobster in a butter and garlic sauce. And that sounds really good."  
>"That does sound good actually but I'm leaning towards the salmon. What about you?"<br>"This seafood dish is looking really good, three types of fish that I haven't had in years."  
>Both ordered before sitting in silence again, worried he would start thinking of this as a date he cleared his throat and hoped to get the conversation started.<br>"So um, what did you two talk about last night when you got to your hotel?" He saw Kyouya form a sly smile as he grabbed a roll to cut it in half and butter it.  
>"We talked about you."<br>"Me? You spent the first night ever with your son and talked about me? Isn't that just wrong?"  
>"Hey don't put it like that. He brought you up I didn't. But, I do want to know how it's been for you. I want to know exactly when you decided to leave. I want to know everything. When we last saw each other did you know you were pregnant?"<br>Grabbing a roll he played with it before answering. He was hoping to have a little bit more time before this came up.

"It's been tough for me since I got here basically but then again I knew it wouldn't be easy. I found out Christmas Eve that I was pregnant. I really did have the flu; no one was lying to you when they said that, so no, I didn't know I was pregnant when I last saw you. I was getting better and then I got sick again so I had my father call the doctor again for me. He didn't know what was wrong but he took a blood sample and Christmas Eve he told me that a hormone was present in the blood and that the test came back positive, I was pregnant. He promised to not tell my father and I guess he kept that promise since you never found out. After I found out I tried to think of what I should do. I wanted to tell you. I knew you should know but I knew that if you did you would lose everything once your father found out and I knew that if my grandmother found out she would give me two choices. I would either have to leave the family and raise the baby alone or I go somewhere private where news wouldn't spread and get an abortion and I knew I couldn't do that. I wasn't going to harm the child that did nothing wrong in the first place, so, before I could be thrown out, I left. I took just enough for a plane ticket and an apartment, and I took it out of the account I set up so we could move in together somewhere. I knew my father wouldn't see however much I took out since he wouldn't be able to access it. I wanted to make sure my money couldn't be traced back to where I was going. I packed just a duffel bag and came to France. I learned never to fly when you have morning sickness but I landed to start my new life. The people in my first apartment were really kind, especially when they learned of my situation. One helped me find a job at an office and I tried to finish school but I needed a second job to help pay the bills and medical expenses. Sadly I lost the apartment soon after I lost the office job. It was hard to find another job at first, I was only sixteen and didn't graduate high school and I was pregnant so most jobs I wasn't allowed to take. I found a job at one of the convenience stores which helped me get my second apartment and then soon after I got another job at a bakery. The neighbors in my complex were just as nice as the first as they helped me get what I needed for the baby which helped take some of the strain off me. I took a third job at the second convenience store to help pay for the doctor, I worked the three until I collapsed on the job at the bakery and the owner let me go for my safety."  
>"You overworked yourself didn't you?"<br>"I did, I was trying so hard to save up enough money and not lose the apartment that I almost hurt René. He was almost born three months earlier from my stupidity. Luckily he wasn't but I was forced to go on bed rest and the money I was getting from the convenience stores paid leave wasn't enough to keep the apartment so again I had to find another place. Fortunately for me one of my neighbors took me in so I wouldn't be on the streets. I didn't stay long though because I didn't want to burden her and I found a place that helped people in similar situations. I stayed at the housing they placed me in for a while. I had René there actually. That was really scary, it was around two in the afternoon when my water broke and ten minutes later I gave birth. One of the people that I became close to came over to see if I wanted company and when she walked in she heard me screaming in pain and helped me. She has been a huge help to me, even now. René plays with her son, who is only a few months older, when I work and after school. I moved out of that complex and moved two more times after that before I got to the apartment I'm at now."  
>"Why didn't you contact me when things became too tough?"<br>"I thought about it. I thought about going home, I knew I messed up by leaving and I didn't think I could handle everything alone. But, I couldn't show up at my dad's place with a baby, I'd still be thrown out. And I couldn't show up on your doorstep expecting you to take me back and take care of your son that you never knew existed."  
>"I would have, if you showed up or contacted me I would have helped you anyway I could."<br>"I left to not ruin your future. I couldn't go there a year later and expect your father to be okay with everything. I may have lost everything but I wasn't going to do the same to you."  
>Both became silent as they food arrived, he really didn't want to talk about it anymore and it was all in past now anyway.<p>

They didn't say much as they ate. Tamaki hadn't had a dish so delicious in so long. He wanted to savior every bite. It was a good thing Kyouya was paying for both of them because this meal alone, not even counting the bottle of wine, would cost him half a days' pay. He wasn't crazy about him paying but Kyouya wasn't going to take no for an answer, since this was his idea, or so he said.

"What are you eating?"  
>Looking up from his plate he saw Kyouya had stopped eating and was staring at his.<br>What? It's a seafood dish that is known all over France. Its goatfish, mackerel, and I forget what this is, monkfish maybe. Why?"  
>"What is the shell thing on the side?"<br>"Oh that's escargot!" And he was saving it for last. This was one of the reasons he ordered this, because it came with it on the side and he hadn't eaten it since before he moved to Japan.  
>"Isn't that snail?"<br>"Yep, but it is really good. I haven't had it in years!"  
>"If you say so." He watched as Kyouya went back to eating, which gave him an idea. Two could play with this dating idea.<br>"Want to try one?"  
>"No thanks."<br>"Oh come on, I'll bet you'll like it."  
>"Tamaki, it doesn't even sound appealing. I can't figure out how people can stand it."<br>"Close your eyes."  
>"You're not sticking it in my mouth."<br>"I won't I promise now close your eyes. I have always wanted to do something with you but I never could so now that I can I want to." A little surprised Kyouya agreed with little struggle he cut a piece of the monkfish and fed it to Kyouya. As he was chewing, surprising with his eyes still closed, he used the escargot tongs and stuck it in his mouth once he knew he had just swallowed the fish. Kyouya's eyes shot open as it touched his tongue. Sitting back properly in his chair he put the tongs down and smiled.  
>"Swallow." He watched as Kyouya's hand slapped the table, seeing his reaction he couldn't help himself from laughing.<br>"Oh come on it couldn't be that bad." Trying to stop himself from laughing as Kyouya reached for his wine glass he ate the second one. "I think it's really good, especially in the butter and garlic sauce."  
>As it hit his tongue his mouth exploded in joy in tasting it again for the first time in so long.<br>"It wasn't a flavor thing it was a texture thing. It's the same reason I hate clams, though you loved to shove _that _down my throat many a time." He couldn't stop laughing at Kyouya, his whole reaction was priceless.

As they finished their meals it seemed they should get down to business. The date was great and all but it wasn't the only reason they were together.  
>"About René. I want you both to move in with me. He deserves to have his parents together and a childhood that doesn't involve him having to worry about you overworking yourself."<br>"I told you yesterday, I'm not going back to Japan, France is my home now. Even if I stayed in Japan back then I don't think I would have stayed much longer. I don't want him to grow up the way we did. Sneaking around, being forced to live a certain way. Let's face it Kyouya we never were allowed to lead our own life. I don't want to do that to René, I want him to have a life all his own, where he can do things without worrying about what it will do to his name, to a degree of course."  
>"We aren't our parents Tamaki. We can let him have that freedom that we didn't. Don't you think you're hurting him more by not being home, that you can't work less than three jobs if you want a place to live?"<br>"I know I am but,"  
>"But what! You're being selfish by not doing what's best for him."<br>"Then fine take him! We both know you would do a better job anyway!"  
>"That's not what I'm saying! Yes, I want him to stay with me but I'm not going to take him from you."<br>"He wants to be with you. Yesterday he was so happy and talkative towards you. He isn't that way with me at all. You were right, he probably hates me."  
>"He doesn't hate you, he loves you a lot. But, he doesn't know what to do now, his whole life was built one lie on top of another."<br>"Well I couldn't tell him the truth. I wanted to protect him from being picked on. I know what it's like to be that kid, to know your family is different from the norm. I couldn't do that to him, not when I didn't have to. I plan to tell him the truth soon and I bet when I do he won't be able to stand my face. You can give him everything he deserves. He is better off just moving to Japan instead of just visiting on school vacations. I can handle just seeing him when school is out."  
>"Stop making it sound like your calling yourself a bad parent. You've done a great job by yourself. I'm just saying that you aren't alone anymore and now you should allow me to help you. Tamaki accepting my help doesn't make you a bad parent."<br>"I…I know that but still. I still can't live with you."  
>"But why not? Tamaki I still lo,"<br>"I just can't okay!" Standing, he ran out. He couldn't hear those words, not when Kyouya didn't know what he did. He wasn't worthy of such love, not anymore.

Running out of the restaurant he turned down the first side street and ducked to stay hidden. He could hear Kyouya coming after him. Covering his mouth he tried to stay quiet and stop the tears that were falling from his eyes. It was better this way. Standing up from the garbage can he was hiding behind he headed home using the back road. He tried to get his eyes to stop crying though it wasn't working too well. God, if only he could forget what he did in the past, then this wouldn't be a problem. Until Kyouya found out that was, then he would be disgusted by him. He would end all ties with him for sure.

Finally getting back to his apartment he pulled himself together and called Sara so René could come home. He knew she wanted details about how the night went but he really wasn't in the mood. With a promise to tell her all about it tomorrow they hung up. His head was swimming from everything that had gone on in the last twenty-four hours. Sitting on the loveseat he pulled out the picture he still had of himself and Kyouya. God, why couldn't he go back to those days, why did he have to mess everything up when René was a baby?

René sat in Michael's room playing video games; he already knew why he had stayed for dinner. His dad was trying to get his father to allow them to be a family. He hoped it worked so his father could finally take it easy. He deserved to be happy and it would be nice to be a complete family like most people had.  
>"Ugh! René how do you keep pulling that combo move off?"<br>"I don't know I just hit buttons."  
>"I'm going to be that character next turn."<br>"Okay." Pummeling Michael's character with punches they watched as the words K.O. came on the screen.  
>"You beat me again, and this is my game. I play all the time."<br>"Sorry."  
>"René?"<br>Both boys looked at Michaels' bedroom door to see Sara standing there.  
>"Your father just called. He would like you to head home."<br>"Okay Aunt Sara. Sorry Michael looks like you have to try it on your own."  
>"Good, so then next time I can beat you." Both stood so René could grab his coat and shoes and Michael could see him out.<br>"See you tomorrow René?"  
>"I think so."<br>"Bye René, please be careful going home. Are you sure you want to walk home alone? I can have Sean walk you back."  
>"I'm okay but thank you Aunt Sara. See you tomorrow." Not surprised she asked, she always asked, he headed out. He really hoped everything went well. Since his father didn't pick him up he wondered if his dad was at the apartment too. Maybe they would all discuss living together. That would be great if they did.<p>

"René?"  
>"Oh, hey dad." Stopping, he saw Kyouya come over to him on the street.<br>"What are you doing out here alone?"  
>"Heading home for the night."<br>"Want me to walk with you? It's already dark out."  
>"I know and I've got it. I do this all the time. Do you know how to get to your hotel from here?"<br>"I think so. Oh, since I found you, could you give this to your father for me. It's his anyway and I never got the chance to give it to him."  
>"Sure dad." Taking the envelope from him he reminded him on how to get to his hotel before going the rest of the way home. Well it looked like the three of them weren't going to all talk about living together. Maybe tomorrow then.<p>

"Father, I ran into dad coming home and he told me to give this to you." Coming into the apartment he saw his father in the living room and gave him the envelope. Seeing he wasn't going to open it right now he moved on to the next topic.  
>"Father, can we ask dad if he can stay for New Years and celebrate with us?" He had thought about it all day once he realized how close it was. Tamaki couldn't get over the excitement in his voice; he was really hoping he would say yes. There really wasn't a reason for him to say no though. New Years was this Saturday and Kyouya was supposed to leave Friday night. So long as he didn't have plans back in Japan he could probably change his flight.<br>"Sure, ask him when you see him."  
>"Okay!" This was awesome, now he would get to spend even more time with his dad and maybe keep his parents in the same room to figure out that they still loved each other and wanted to be together.<br>"René, come here and sit with me for a second I want to ask you something."  
>Crashing on the seat next to his father he tried to contain his excitement over what this could be. What if they were all going to move in together and his dad didn't stay so his father could mention it with no pressure to say yes. Though there wouldn't have been any, he would have said okay anyway.<br>"You really like your dad don't you?"  
>"I do, he is really cool."<br>"That's good to hear. How would you like to live in Japan instead of just visiting on school holidays?"  
>"You mean live with dad?" He didn't really want to move to Japan but his dad probably couldn't move to France because of his job. He had never been to Japan before though he wasn't even sure he would like it. Maybe if he told his parents that then his dad could stay here a little longer and then the three of them could check it on his next school break.<br>"Yes I do, would you like that?"  
>"Yes! Dad showed me his house and it's so big and Japan sounds fun!" He wanted to show that he was interested, he could tell them his thoughts later when they were all together again.<br>"That's good, I'm glad, I think it would be good for the two of you to catch up." At those words René stopped, something his father said didn't sound right.  
>"Wait father, what about you? Wouldn't you live with me and dad?"<br>"No, I would stay here in France."  
>"Why? Why not live with me and dad in Japan? Why can't we be a family?" Jumping off the couch René tried to process this, this wasn't supposed to happen. The three of them were supposed to live all together and not in two different countries. This wasn't what he wanted at all.<br>"Well it's just not as easy as that."  
>"Yes it is! Dad told me he wants us to live all together as a family but you're stopping that!"<br>"René calm down, please. I never said I would never live with your father, just not right now. Why are you so upset?"  
>"Just forget it!" Why couldn't they be together from the start?<br>"Hey, talk to me, what has gotten into you lately." Getting up he tried to stop René from going into the bedroom so they could talk this all out. He didn't want to argue with René there was no need for it. He was really a horrible parent if his son couldn't talk to him already.  
>"René, please, talk to me. Let me help you if something is going on."<br>"Just leave me alone! I hate you father!"  
>Tamaki's hand just missed his shoulder when those words hit his ears. He couldn't even flinch as René slammed the bedroom door. He couldn't cry or move, all he could do was stand, frozen where he was. Those three words echoed in his mind.<br>_*I hate you, I hate you, I hate.*_

René jumped on his bed burying his face in the pillow. He couldn't tell his father the truth, that he wanted them to live together so he could stop working as much if at all. He didn't want to have to choose who he would stay with. Tamaki slowly defrosted, he needed to talk to René and fix this. They had never fought like this before. Why was their relationship falling apart the way it was.  
>"Hey René, can we talk?" Gently knocking on the door before he opened it he saw René face down on the covers. He didn't even flinch as he moved closer so they could talk, so he could explain himself. Sitting near René's feet he sat up and stayed near his pillow to avoid Tamaki as much as possible.<br>"René, I want to talk to you. I need to explain myself."  
>"So you can lie to me again?" He knew his father could hear the venom in his voice and he really didn't care.<br>"Hey watch the attitude! I know I screwed up but my intention was to tell you everything when you were a little older. I only told you what I did to protect you from,"  
>"Protect me from what? From knowing my father was killing himself just to keep us off the streets while my real dad was living the life with maids and cooks!"<br>"No that's not why! And I lived the same life as your father and let me tell you it isn't as fabulous as it looks!"  
>"It has to be better than this!" Getting off the bed he moved near the far corner of the room, he didn't want to be near his father anymore.<br>"What is with you today? You know you can talk to me. I know I'm not around a lot but I still love you and I want you to know that I'm here for you. I've always been here for you."  
>"Why would you give up your old life?"<br>"Because I had you and I wanted better for you than I had!"  
>"Looks like you got it huh?"<br>"You really need to knock it off the sarcasm! I wish that was the one thing you didn't get from your father!"  
>"I bet that's not all you wish!"<br>"What?"  
>René saw the duffel bag beside him and grabbed it before walking to the door.<br>"Where are you going?" Quickly off the bed Tamaki was in the doorway trying to stop him from leaving.  
>"Dad's for the night. Not that you really care since you want to ship me there anyway!"<br>Pushing his father back to get by he ran to and out the door.  
>"René stop!" He went unheard of as he walked out the door. Running out after him he didn't see him anywhere. Leaning over the railing it didn't look like he jumped down this time. Knowing he would never catch up to him he went back into the apartment and called Kyouya to let him know René was heading his way only to get his voicemail. That was just great, tonight had gone to hell and was only getting worse. Laying across the loveseat he screamed into his pillow to let out his frustration and hopefully not disturb the neighbors anymore than he already did.<p>

René ran as fast as he could away from the apartment to his dad's hotel. The cold air made it hard to breath and tears kept falling making it difficult to see clearly. His dad's hotel wasn't too much further; he could do it no problem. Entering the hotel he walked past the bar and made sure he wasn't there as he went towards the elevators. Going up he tried to get the tears to stop only to learn more seemed to fall instead. Finally finding room two-ninety-seven he knocked on the door hoping he had the right room and he was inside.  
>"René is everything alright? Why are you crying?"<br>Being ushered inside he was led to the bed. Using his sleeve he tried to dry his eyes. He was a little cold from taking his jacket off when he went into his bedroom and didn't have a chance to grab it before he left as well.  
>"Me and father got into an argument and I left the house."<br>"Did he know you were coming here?"  
>"I think I told him." Finally able to stop crying he noticed his dad was holding his cell and calling his father.<br>"Hey Tamaki, sorry I was in the shower when you called. René is here do you want me to bring him home to you?"  
>"No, let him stay the night. I don't think him coming home right now will make him happy."<br>"Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Good-night."  
>"Good-night Kyouya."<br>With that he heard Tamaki slowly hang up the phone. After what happened at dinner it was a little awkward for both of them to be talking to each other.

0o0o0o0o0o

So this was supposed to be the last chapter, turns out that isn't the case because I am nowhere near where I need to be. So for all of you that wanted it continue you get two more chapters. Hope that makes you all happy and you enjoy this story. Please review.  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

Hanging up with Tamaki, Kyouya finished getting dressed to sit next to René on the bed, who was hugging his knees.  
>"What happened between you two to make you leave home?"<br>"Me and father started yelling at each other and I told him that I hated him. And, he tried to talk to me but I just yelled at him and said some really bad things to him."  
>"Why were you arguing in the first place?"<br>"He wanted to know if I wanted to live with you in Japan and I said yes until he told me we wouldn't live all together and I told him it was all his fault that we couldn't live together in the first place. After that I said something about our home and I know I hurt father a lot. I know that everything he does for me and I'm really grateful. I shouldn't have said what I said but," He did feel really guilty about what he did. His father had been trying to talk to him but he was the one that wouldn't listen, wouldn't give him a second to explain.  
>"Do you want to apologize?"<br>"Do you think he would forgive me?"  
>"He loves you and knows a lot has happened to you in a short amount of time. How about tomorrow after I get out of my meeting we go together so you can apologize?"<br>"Okay dad." Starting to cry again he felt his dad pull him closer. He was so lost in what to do; he didn't want to choose between his parents. He couldn't just leave his father but he wanted to spend time with his dad. Why couldn't they live together as a family? Why did life have to continue to be difficult for them?

Once he had settled down he moved out his dad's arms and dried his eyes. Since he had the time he brought up New Years with him hoping he could stay.  
>"I know you are supposed to fly back Friday but New Years is this weekend and I was wondering if you could stay."<br>"You want me to stay? I'm most likely able to stay for it. If I change my flight tomorrow I shouldn't have too much trouble getting a later flight. Though, it is a holiday weekend."  
>"If you can't I understand I just thought you might be able to that's all."<br>"I don't see too much of a problem with me staying here a few extra days. We are closed for the weekend anyway and New Years parties back home are all the same, they probably won't even realize I wasn't there."  
>"Really?! So you'll stay?"<br>"Yes, I'll stay."  
>"Awesome!" His face lit up hearing his dad say yes, that was great they could all welcome the New Year together.<br>"Since I'm staying, tomorrow before we leave the hotel for the day you have to make sure I extend my stay properly. I don't want to lose my room."  
>"Will do dad! Though, if you did I could make room for you in my room so you had a place to stay." <p>

Tamaki sat on the loveseat holding his knees while he tried to think and not cry. The TV was on to help block out the loud silence the apartment held right now. He knew René had every right to be mad at him. He was the reason they couldn't be a family. And he couldn't tell him why they weren't able to be plus it seemed like he would make him choose. Choose between who he wanted to be with more, him or Kyouya. How could he do that to him? He was doing the same thing to his son that he went through which wasn't what he wanted, ever. Growing up all he had wanted was to be a complete family with his parents and René wanted that too. Wrapping his blanket around him he saw the envelope René gave him earlier from Kyouya. He already figured he knew what this was. Yep, it was the money he lost for calling out, only it was much more then he made in a shift. Throwing it to the floor he crashed to his side. How could he get Kyouya to understand he didn't want his money? Putting the TV on sleep mode he tried to get his mind to settle. Sleep seemed so far off though with so much he had yet to figure out. He couldn't decide if he wanted to move back to Japan or not. It would probably be better for René if they did but then if he told Kyouya about what he did he would be no better off out there than he was here. There was no way Kyouya would still love him after he learned the truth and he couldn't not tell him. God he hated himself so much, no wonder René did, it was hard not to. Maybe after his shift tomorrow at the restaurant he would talk to Kyouya and apologize to René. He wanted to close the distance between him and his son and Kyouya deserved to know the truth. René, before yesterday they were all they had, he didn't want to lose him in this mess.

René heard an alarm going off and rolled over to try and get away from it. Feeling his dad moving in the bed he figured the alarm was for his work. Waiting until he heard him go into the bathroom to shower he laid in bed with his eyes closed. He probably could sleep in until his dad was out of the shower but he was used to getting up this early. Getting out of bed he opened his duffel bag and pulled out some of his "over the break" homework. He told his father he finished it already but it wouldn't take him that long to complete it. Hearing the bathroom door open a little while later he heard his dad come out.  
>"Good morning René. I was wondering if you'd like to come to my meeting with me instead of being alone."<br>"Sure dad." With that he put his homework away and went into the bathroom to shower and get dressed so he wouldn't make his dad run behind. He was curious as to what a business meeting was like and wanted to see his dad in action, he bet he was really cool in these types of situations and received a lot of recognition even in a foreign country.

Following his dad it was decided they would go out for breakfast. René was up for that, any time with his dad was time he enjoyed. He seemed to have a place in mind as he knew where he was going and didn't once ask him for assistance. Seeing where they were stopped he got a little nervous.  
>"Dad, I don't know if we should go here."<br>"Why not? Is the service bad or something? This is the closest place to sit near the office but if you want to go a simple shop we can do that."  
>"No here is fine." Not wanting to give his dad a hard time or change his plans he let it go.<br>"René?"  
>Opening the door he walked in to get them a table so his dad wouldn't have to worry about it. Seeing the last person he wanted to see he hoped he didn't make problems for them.<br>"Your dad's busy kid, he can't talk to you now."  
>"He is with me, is there a problem?" Seeing his dad come around him and keep him behind him he let his mouth drop a little. He was a little surprised to see his dad do that, he knew his father would but hadn't known his dad long enough to know if he would do the same.<br>"Oh my apologizes sir. Let me get you a table."  
>How he really didn't like that money grubbing, two faced man. Being seated they both relaxed for a moment before looking over the menu.<br>"So what's up with that guy?"  
>"He is father's boss and he hates when I call or show up. Anyone that bothers his stupid business he doesn't like. People could be hurt right outside and he would probably throw a fit."<br>"Oh so Tamaki works here. Is that why you were hesitant to come in?"  
>"…a little." He was ashamed of himself for what happened last night and he hadn't apologized to him yet.<p>

Tamaki walked out from the kitchen hearing he had a new table and stopped when he saw it was René and Kyouya. Why were they here and why did he have to be covering their table? His boss never put family and friends together so they wouldn't talk and ignore the other customers. Handling a table that came first he walked over to theirs slightly worried about how this would go.  
>"What brings you two here?" He tried to keep his voice up to hide some of his worry. It was nice seeing those two enjoying being with each other so they helped a little.<br>"Breakfast and since you're here I'm taking René to work with me."  
>"Good to know since you never picked up your phone when I called this morning. You should give me the number to your room if you're not going to pick up your cell." Looking over at René he saw he wasn't looking up from the table, he was probably still mad at him from last night.<br>"Are you feeling okay Tamaki, your face is red?"  
>"Yea I'm fine. I'm moving a lot from covering another waiters table. So what can I get you both before I get yelled at?"<br>"Coffee and a lot of it and whatever sells best as a breakfast dish is fine."  
>"René can read the menu for you if you can't." He hoped joking around would get René to look up from the table. Seeing he was still looking down he guessed it didn't work that well.<br>"What about you René? Want me to bring you pancakes, the chocolate ones you like?"  
>"Sure father." As he walked away he tried to get the hurt he felt in his heart to stop. René not looking at him and barely speaking to him was unbearable right now. René exhaled once his father walked away, he felt ashamed of himself for what he did to his father, this was all his fault.<p>

"Father is getting sick." René played with the table cloth as he spoke, this made him feel even worse than he already did.  
>"What?"<br>"You said his face is red and that usually means he is getting sick."  
>"That sounds like Tamaki, I'm sure he'll be fine though."<br>"I bet it's from me and what I said last night." Whether he would be fine or not wasn't helping how guilty he felt over last night.  
>"Now don't blame yourself. While you shouldn't have said what you did I doubt you made him sick." He wanted to believe him, being a doctor and all but he just couldn't. He should have apologized to his father. "It's been cold out and he has been working a lot and is under stress since I showed up in his life again so it's probably from that."<p>

After they had received their food Kyouya brought up New Years. René was happy to tell him all about it. And to see he was generally happy about it made him feel good too. Kyouya let him explain what Paris did for it every year and what they personally did.  
>"Father is off because everything is closed New Years Day so we go to my Aunts house for her annual party. And last year father allowed me to stay up and watch the fireworks. I didn't make it but I don't think father did either." He went on about it before asking what Japan did and if still followed the animal zodiac. They had learned about it in school and was fascinated by it but he learned it last year. He thought Japan used it but it was called the Chinese zodiac so he wasn't sure.<br>"We do use it but that happens in January, later in January. It varies each year based on certain factors. Do you know what animal you were born under?"  
>"We were told but I forgot."<br>"Let's see, you turned nine this year so you were born in thousand and five correct?"  
>"Yep!"<br>"So then you would be the year of the Rooster."  
>René listened closely as he was told about what that meant in terms of traits. His dad sure knew a lot about this.<p>

"What do you say we head to my meeting?"  
>"Sure dad." He didn't want to make him late and he couldn't take seeing his father anymore. He still believed he was the reason he was getting sick and if they left then they were one less customer he had to worry about. This place was pretty busy which wouldn't help his father if he wasn't feeling well. Both stood up to leave only to stop and look towards the kitchen as they heard what sounded like metal crashing to the ground. René wasn't sure why but all of a sudden he got this horrible feeling in his gut. It might have been from seeing people run into the kitchen and a woman come out looking panicked and he didn't know where his father was or if he was okay.<br>"René stay here for a second okay. I'm going to see if they need a doctor."  
>"Oh okay dad." Staying where he was he watched his dad go over to a woman who was just getting off the phone. He didn't know what they were saying but she must have told him he could help since he went to the back.<p>

Tamaki tried to get air back in his lungs; he wasn't sure what happened exactly. He knew his head was pounding, and he had trouble focusing on things before it all went dark for a second. Now he couldn't breathe right and while it wasn't hard to breathe they were definitely working harder and his eyes didn't want to stay open. He was also aware of the fact that he was on the floor and someone was holding his head. He had collapsed, that was what his body was telling him had just happened.  
>"Hey Tamaki can you hear me?" Feeling new hands hold him and hold him closer he opened his eyes as best as his body would let him.<br>"K…Kyouya?"  
>"Just relax, you're fine, I've got you. They called for an ambulance."<br>"But you're here. I don't need another doctor." He watched as Kyouya didn't understand what he said; he must have said it in French instead of Japanese. One of his co-workers heard and understood what he said as he heard them laugh.  
>"Is he okay?"<br>"It's a mix of exhaustion and a cold. He needs rest."  
>Well it was good to know it was nothing serious. See he didn't need another doctor he had Kyouya here with him.<br>"Should I tell his son?"  
>René, he had to get up, he had to go to him. He was stopped by Kyouya as he tried to sit up.<br>"No, I've got him. Don't move too much your body can't be pushed that's why you collapsed in the first place. Don't worry about René I'll talk to him and stay with him."

René watched the door and waited for his dad to come back or to see his father. He wanted to know for certain that everything was alright back there. Part of him wanted to go see but didn't want to get in his dad's way if he was working. Seeing his dad walking out from the kitchen he could tell he had to tell him something.  
>"René, your father collapsed in the back. He has a bit of a cold but it's nothing serious. They are taking him to the hospital just so he can rest. He is fine he just needs rest and I hate to do this to you but I need to go to this meeting. I can't stay at the hospital right now. If you want to go be with your father then I won't stop you and I'll join you once my meeting is over. If you don't want to then you can come with me."<br>"Father just needs rest right?"  
>"Right."<br>"Then I'll go with you so I don't bother him. I can see him after your done right?"  
>"Of course, I plan to go see him after."<br>"Then I'll go with you."  
>"Okay, René he'll be fine, I promise."<br>René was glad his father would be fine but he still felt ready to cry. This was all his fault he just knew it.

Staying close to his dad he tried to follow him to his office building. He couldn't stop thinking about his father and if he was okay. He didn't believe his dad would lie but he would feel better once he saw him. If his father needed rest than he would stay out of his way so he could get it. His father knew he was with his dad and would be safe so he could easier and take care of himself better. He needed to stop worrying, his father would be fine. This would be a good learning experience for him, see how meetings were properly held. Heading up the elevator they stopped on the fourth floor and down the hall to a room with nothing but a large table and chairs with a projection board on the one wall. He was surprised the room was empty except for two of them though his dad wasn't.  
>"I'm hoping this won't take all day but it might since things have been changing since I got here."<br>"Its okay dad, I've got it covered. Father doesn't know but I have to finish my school assignment still." Going through his bag he pulled out the assignment and went looking through it again. Looking up at Kyouya he half laughed and smiled, "Dad can I borrow something to write with?"  
>"Hmm? A pen? Sure." Reaching into his inner coat pocket he pulled out something for him to use. "And please don't think I'm shoving you in the corner after I asked you to join me but I need you to sit over there."<br>"I understand. I promise I won't get in the way."

René didn't get much work done. He had too much trouble concentrating on it once the meeting started. He enjoyed watching his dad talk about deals and all this health resort had to offer. When they stopped for lunch he told his dad what he thought and was glad how he was enjoying being here.  
>"We should be done soon, thanks for being patient. That is something you clearly get from Tamaki." They talked while they ran downstairs to grab a quick meal before heading back up to finish.<br>"So what are you doing now?"  
>"We are trying to get them to back us in building here. The Ootori group had the finances for this but if we can gain support then we will do better once it opens."<br>"Okay, I understand." This whole thing was strange and new for him but it wasn't impossible to follow.

Near four they finally got to the hospital. René couldn't wait to see his father any longer, hopefully he was feeling better. Stepping into the hospital he moved closer to his dad. He had never been here before and could feel the fear over his father's health growing. If he was fine then why was he in a place like this? After his dad asked the desk where his father was they walked down a hall together. Getting off an elevator the fear inside of him peaked as he saw staff running in one of the rooms. _*Please don't let that be father's.*_ Scared, he grabbed his dads hand hoping that would help calm him down.  
>"René, is everything okay?" Holding his dad's hand tighter he tried to calm down. He didn't want to seem like a baby but he was truly frightened. "It's okay René, I know this place seems scary but it's not I promise. Have you ever been here before?" Shaking his head 'no' he said nothing else. "I see. Well I grew up around them so I can't say I know the feeling but believe me when I say everything is and will be okay." He didn't release his hand but he loosened some of his grip as they went the rest of the way to his father's room.<p>

Seeing his father asleep he sat in the chair next to the bed to wait until he woke up. Hugging his knees he rested his chin on them while he waited. His father looked okay and seemed to be sleeping peacefully, that was good to see. He hoped he woke up soon but he didn't want him to wake up before his body was ready. He would sit here all night if he had to if it meant his father was okay and being taken good care.

Tamaki slowly stretched and woke up though he was having a really nice dream and didn't want it to end.  
>"Father! You're up!" Hearing René he turned to the other side as he felt him wrap his arms around him and dig his head into his side.<br>"Father I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything I said and for yelling and for upsetting you. I'm sorry I made you sick." Tamaki took his eyes off René for a moment as he saw Kyouya come closer. He didn't think he was that serious so why was René so upset? He didn't mean to worry him. "I'm fine René; you didn't make me sick why would you think that? I need to apologize for lying to you these past years. Please don't worry, everything is okay. In fact the doctor told me I can go home tomorrow if I take it easy for a few days."  
>"Then I'll help you more so you don't have to work so hard. I'll do whatever I can so you can take it easy." He wanted to apologize to his father and show him how sorry he was. He knew he should have apologized at breakfast, then maybe none of this would have happened.<br>"Well thank you but you don't have to worry about anything. I promise you I'm fine and just watch, give me a couple of days and I'll be back to my normal self."  
>"Oh joy." Looking at Kyouya he saw he was joking around with him. "Glad to see you okay though, hearing that you collapsed wasn't really the highlight of my morning."<br>"Sorry, if I worried you, Kyouya." He seemed to be getting lost into his eyes, eyes that had been deeply concerned for him, eyes that were relieved to see him doing alright. René slowly let go of his father and left the room seeing his parents wanted to talk alone for a moment.

"How are you feeling? Did the doctors get your fever down even slightly?" Tamaki slowly closed his eyes as he felt Kyouya's fingers touch his forehead and glide down to his cheek. He hadn't felt such a gentle, soft, kind, loving touch in so long.  
>"Please remove your hand." As slowly as the words left his mouth so did Kyouya remove his hand. Oh how those words pained him so. "I'm sorry, Kyouya. Please don't touch me, never touch me again." The words were held with sorrow and regret. Kyouya could probably tell he didn't want to say them.<br>"Tamaki, you need to know that I still love you. I tried to tell you that last night at dinner before you ran out. I love you; I love you as much now as I did then. Please don't turn me away."  
>"I love you too Kyouya, I've never fallen out of love with you. Even so I…I can't let you come near me."<br>"Why not? If you're sick tell me. I'll use all my power and resources to get you well. I refuse to lose you again. Does René know?"  
>"It's not that, I can't go into it here. Once I'm home and we have time alone I'll tell you."<br>"Tamaki," He watched as Kyouya stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to drop this conversation that much was obvious. "As you wish."  
>Both stopped as they saw René walk back in with the doctor.<p>

René was beyond words at seeing his father looking well. He didn't feel so bad leaving him alone for the night. He needed the rest and he was going to spend the night with his dad at the apartment. He was a little embarrassed to have his dad stay in the little apartment but it sounded like fun to be with him and be home. And his dad was the one that brought up the idea so obviously he didn't mind. It would be strange to him spend the night but the thought made him smile. They said good-night to Tamaki after he gave Kyouya his key since René didn't have his and headed home.

By the time they reached the apartment René was excited to have his dad over and was no longer worried.  
>"Okay dad here's a rundown for you. Bathroom is here, the water gets hot fast so be careful. The stove is a pain and can take a few tries to light. Cups and dishes are in this cabinet above the sink. Tea and coffee things are in this cabinet." He stopped running around the apartment to show him where everything was when he felt him place a hand on his shoulders to have him stand still for a minute.<br>"Relax René I can figure it out. I may be your father but I'm not unable to figure things out. I'm foreign here, not old" René started to laugh nervously; he didn't want his dad to think he believed he was old or stupid. It never dawned on him that he could he just wanted him to feel at home.  
>"How old do you think I am? How old do you think your father is?"<br>"Well, um, father always says that two people should be in love and old enough to support raising a family so father must have been around twenty-six when he had me so you and father must be around, thirty-five now."  
>"I'm not thirty-five."<br>"Thirty-six, seven, eight?"  
>"I'm not in my thirty's."<br>"There is no way you're in your forties."  
>"René, I'm twenty-six. Please stop making me older. And I wouldn't tell your father that you think he is in his thirties, he will start to cry."<br>His mouth dropped open hearing that and feeling bad that he was so far off. At least his didn't seem mad that he made him so old. In fact he was laughing. Being dragged into the living room by his dad they collapsed on the loveseat together.  
>"Oh come on, I don't look that old to you do I? Why are you so surprised?"<br>"Father always told me that people shouldn't start a family until they were in their late twenties and were stable financially and in love. But, you're telling me that you and father are twenty-six now, so that means. It means that father had me when he was seventeen."  
>"René you have to understand something. He told you that to protect you so you wouldn't do some of the same things he did. It doesn't really matter what age he was back then because he stills loves you the same; we both do."<br>"I guess your right dad." He sat with Kyouya for a few minutes before getting up to go into his bedroom.  
>"Good-night dad, if you don't want to sleep out here I don't mind trading you."<br>"I'll be fine here. René do you want to talk? Is something bothering you?"  
>"No dad I'm fine, I think I'm going to work on my homework before I go to bed."<br>"Oh, okay. Well good-night then, if you need help I'm here."  
>"Thanks dad, night." Going into the bedroom he grabbed a change of clothes for his dad for the night before he curled up in bed feeling miserable.<p>

He couldn't believe what he did to his father the other night. He blamed him for everything when really it wasn't his fault. _He _was the reason his parents weren't together, he kept blaming his father but really it was his own. He separated them by being born when his father was only seventeen. If he wasn't born then his parents would still be together. He needed to apologize to his father.

Seeing the sun come into his room René opened his eyes. He didn't sleep all that well, he was worried about his father and he still felt bad for what he did to his parents. How could they not hate him? Getting out of bed he quietly left the bedroom to see if his dad was up.  
>"Morning dad." Seeing him reach for his glasses he took it as a sign that he was up. Opening the cabinet he tried to reach for a bowl for cereal only to struggle. He never understood why his father always kept them so high up.<br>With his dad's help they got them down and sat down to eat shortly after, once his dad changed out of his night clothes and into his work attire. It was nice having a simple breakfast with his dad. They didn't have to go out or do anything fancy to enjoy this time  
>"How will we know when father will be released from the hospital?"<br>"When we show up the doctor will tell us. He can't be released unless someone gets him.".  
>"But, that doesn't mean eat faster so relax. Plan to get him at eleven okay?"<br>"Oh, okay dad."

Tamaki was getting his shoes on when he saw René come in. He had been up for a few hours already. He didn't sleep well, though he knew he passed out soon after René and Kyouya left last night. As nice as it was to sleep in a bed he would have rather been home.  
>"Good morning father!"<br>"Well good morning; someone seems to be in a great mood. Did you have fun last night with your dad? Speaking of, where is he?" Looking at the door he realized he didn't see Kyouya come in with René. Had he come alone?  
>"He is signing you out. Oh and dad said he can stay for New Year's. You're going to be better by Sunday right?"<br>"I should be, don't worry about it." Laughing, happy to see him smiling and in an upbeat mood again he pulled him close.  
>"Hey Tamaki you're good to go. Do you want to…never mind." Seeing Kyouya walk into the room he noticed he was holding clothes for him.<br>"I'll change into those. I just wasn't sure if you would bring or not." He really didn't want to wear his work clothes any longer than he had to.  
>"Of course we would father, also, I let dad borrow a couple of yours today. I spilled something on his at breakfast." He still felt bad about that, he had knocked over the milk and it got all over him. Luckily he knew his father had something close to what his dad was wearing and grabbed it so he could change. He didn't want him to get in trouble at his meeting later today for wearing something that wasn't business attire.<br>"I though those looked familiar. They look good on you Kyouya, looks like we are still about the same size."

0o0o0o0o0o0

One more chapter to go! I'm am already currently working on it, so hopefully by this weekend! Please review and leave your thoughts. Love you!  
>~Femalefighter~<p> 


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing!

**A/N- **This is it folks, the last chapter. I'm sorry it has taken so long to get to. Hope you all enjoy it. Please read the little note on the bottom for more information on this story.

The three of them went back to the apartment only for Kyouya to realize what time it was and that he had to go finish his business deal. He had told them yesterday that there was a family emergency and he had to push back the signing a few hours if that was alright. Luckily for him they happily agreed.  
>"Are you sure you'll be okay? I shouldn't be long I just need to sign some papers."<br>"I'm fine, really Kyouya. Besides, René is here so if I need something he can help me." He did feel his heart fluttering hearing Kyouya's concern for him though.  
>"Yea dad I'm here so father is in good hands." His father wasn't going to move a muscle while under his watch.<p>

René read on the recliner while his father slept on the loveseat. He was asked to get a few things for dinner but wanted to wait until his dad got back so his father wouldn't be alone. Hearing a knock at the door he saw it was his dad. That was fast he was only gone for about an hour.  
>"Father needs me to run to the store for dinner."<br>"Do you need help?"  
>"Nope, I can handle it. Watch father for me okay?"<br>"I've got it covered." Knowing his father wouldn't be alone and taken good care he made sure he had the money his father gave him earlier for everything and left the apartment.

Tamaki could feel himself waking up from the wonderful nap and forced himself to want to open his eyes. Seeing someone who was clearly not René sitting across from him he quickly sat up as his body went on the defensive.  
>"Are you okay Tamaki, is something wrong?"<br>"No, sorry. I'm just not used to seeing you and was surprised to see you across from me that's all."  
>"I didn't mean to scare you. René went out so,"<br>"Yea I asked him. Look, Kyouya, I know what I told you yesterday is on your mind."  
>"Don't worry about it, I haven't dwelled on it."<br>Tamaki tried to smile at what a bad liar Kyouya had become over the years.  
>"Before I go into it do you want something? Tea or something? I'm making it for myself."<p>

Curling his legs under him on the loveseat as he stared into his mug, he had to do this he knew that but he also knew things could never be the same after this.  
>"I didn't tell you the whole story at dinner the other night. I should have but I was having a great time and I was worried I would ruin it. I ruined it anyway by running out but; a part of me was hoping I could forget and move on. But, I can't, not when René wants to know why we can't be a family. He doesn't know this either and I don't want him to ever find out. I'm not proud of what I did. See, well, after René was born I moved to a part of the city that isn't the best, I guess you could call it the bad part of the city. I didn't really know that at the time I just knew I could afford it. The first year or so was rough because he needed things all the time. Well, one day I left my shift at the convenient store and was heading to pick him up at a friend's when it started raining. I walked into one of the buildings while it was pouring. I thought it was a hotel but later I found out it was the furthest thing from it. As I was waiting for the rain to slow down the owner came up to me and asked me if I was looking for a job. He said I had a body in great shape, a nice face, and seemed to have a friendly personality, everything he looked for in his employees. I should have known that something wasn't right when I learned that I could make at least a couple hundred a night. At that moment though all I knew was that it was just what I needed to help with my finances. All I had to do was entertain the guests for a few hours each night. I could do that, I mean I did it at the host club so I could do it now. A few days later I showed up to start my first day and realized just exactly what I was hired for. That first night I made around three hundred and that was great but I lost myself that night. I had sex with at least four people a night, girls, guys, it didn't matter. I hated that job, I hated what I reduced myself to, that wasn't me. I wasn't one to sell myself but I needed the money and that kept me going for as long as I stayed there. I remember I couldn't look at myself even after I decided to quit almost a year later. I quit after a year but kept in contact with one of my "clients" if you will. He offered to pay me and promised to not interfere with my life so Rene would never know and so I agreed, again my greed for money got the best of me. I started to work at the restaurant shortly after I quit the other place in hopes to have a normal life but this guy was a "side job". I didn't have feelings for him and we weren't really together during that time he just used me the way I was using him. We had this arrangement for years though. God, looking back Rene had to have been six or seven when I had had enough. He showed up at my place and he came when Rene was up and he was drunk and when he started getting physical and threatened Rene's safety I knew I had to get out of there. I refused to let my son get in harm's way because of my stupidity. After that I moved out of there and went as far as I could so he or any of the people I had been with could contact me. This is why I won't let anyone touch me, I am tarnished, stained, sinned. I cannot damage people the way I damaged myself. This is why I can't be with you and as soon as I can figure out a way to tell René I will."<p>

After he stopped he waited knowing what was coming next. Kyouya would walk out disgusted. Or, he would yell at how he could bring that into their son's home, he may even take René away from him. Maybe that would be for the best though. René shouldn't be around someone so littered with sins.  
>"I don't care if you did have sex with others for money, all I want is to be with you and be the only person you sleep with now. I love you Tamaki, I'll always love you no matter what you did before."<br>"Kyouya I…" His heart was skipping beats; did he just hear him right? Did Kyouya really, truly want to be with him? "I don't know." He knew what he did in that time, in his mind what he became wasn't something he could forgive.  
>"Tamaki, why are you fighting me still, is there a reason why you can't see that I'm lying? Are you, did you get something?"<br>"No, it's nothing like that. We were always checked for something and I did on my own a few times. I left also for that reason for fear of pushing my luck, but, no. I'm not sick and that's why I don't want to be with you. I don't know why I can't let myself be taken back by you." Neither said a word as the door opened and René came back.  
>"Father you're up, I got everything you asked for."<br>"That's great!"

The three of them went into the kitchen to start dinner though they would have to eat in the living room since they wouldn't fit at the table. René was so happy the three of them got to eat all together, like a real family. They hadn't done this before. Hopefully one day this would be an everyday thing. Even if it did he would make sure it was always cherished. After they had eaten they talked and watched TV. Before they realized it the clock was reading eleven.  
>"Well I should go, it's getting late and you need rest Tamaki, and you René probably should have been in bed hours ago I figure."<br>Tamaki stood with Kyouya to see him out.  
>"If you have to leave, I feel good though so don't worry about me. So you're staying for New Years. René found a location near here and wants us to all go there on Sunday."<br>"Okay, well, I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow. Good-night Tamaki. Good-night René."  
>"Night dad."<br>Before Tamaki realized it he felt Kyouya's lips on his own. A part of him wanted to pull away but the part of him that missed this took over and accepted it. Feeling his defenses fall he closed his eyes and kissed him back. Neither had been kissed with such love in so long they had almost forgotten what it was like. When Kyouya pulled away Tamaki stood there dazed, his body unsure how to handle the swirling emotion.  
>"Good night Kyouya," escaped his still tingling lips as he saw him start to walk away.<p>

As he tried to fall asleep Tamaki felt his body surging with energy. The kiss still lingered on his lips. This feeling was almost identical to what he felt when he kissed Kyouya for the very first time. Was this what he needed, to feel that Kyouya still loved him instead of just hearing those words? At this moment he felt that he could pack up everything and leave with him when he went back to Japan. He was certain now that they both loved each other and Kyouya could look past all the horrible thing he did in the past.

The next morning Tamaki noticed René was doing a sort of hovering thing, like when he was younger. He knew it wasn't healthy for him to be so clingy. And he hadn't done this in months.  
>"René, I'm fine I swear. Why not go and be with your friends?"<br>"But I want to stay, the doctor told you to take it easy father."  
>"You are your dad's son you know that right?" Pulling René closer they collapsed on the loveseat together. He loved being able to do this with him, seeing him talking to him again. Being able to feel close to his son was always nice. "I worried you a lot didn't I? I'm sorry I didn't mean to."<br>René wanted to tell him that while he had been worried that wasn't the only reason, it was that he was sorry he was reason his father lived the way he did now. He was the reason his parents weren't together anymore. Since he couldn't work or help with money all he could do was help around the house and give his father less to do.  
>"How about this, if your dad comes then you go out and hang out with your friends for a while. I don't want to be the reason you stay here all day."<br>Pulling away he got up to go into his room. How did he apologize to his father? He needed to, that much was certain.  
>"René? Is something wrong?"<br>"I need to finish my homework." He had to think of something.  
>"René? Do you need help?" He could tell something was bothering him but he didn't know what. He really wished he would talk to him again. If something was up he wanted to know about it.<br>"I've got it father."  
>"Is something wrong?"<br>As René walked into the bedroom Tamaki heard a knock at the door that was probably Kyouya. He debated between what to do, letting Kyouya in first he would talk to René in a second.

"Hello, Tamaki, how do you feel?"  
>"Fine, come here I need to talk to you." Grabbing Kyouya's arm he pulled him into the living room to sit him down. "Has René seemed upset about something lately?"<br>"I don't know, I haven't really been around him much too really tell. I know that we were joking around and then he seemed upset all of a sudden the night I slept over, why?"  
>"What is going on with him? I'm starting to get really worried."<br>"I bet it's nothing, remember Tamaki a lot has happened to him this week."  
>"You're probably right."<br>"Father I can go hangout with Michael right?" Both stopped and turned towards the bedroom door hearing René.  
>"Yea, go ahead. Have fun, just call if you're not coming home for dinner."<br>"Sure thing father, bye dad." With that he was out the door. Kyouya looked from the door to Tamaki who thought nothing of it.  
>"Did you throw our son out for the day?"<br>"No, his friend came over before and I told him to go. I didn't want him cooped up here all day doing nothing. Besides, this gives us time to talk."  
>"Oh, I see."<br>Tamaki shoved him lightly; he knew that tone all too well. That wasn't what he meant at all. Well, he thought about it but only for a second and that didn't mean he told René to go just for that reason. He did want to talk; he needed to talk about that kiss last night. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Kyouya did that on purpose, he knew that this would happen. How did he not see this coming? This was just like Kyouya, to plan something he knew would drive him nuts after.  
>"I remember that look Tamaki, and that wasn't what I was planning."<p>

Tamaki couldn't get over how strange it felt to be sitting and talking to Kyouya as they were. This felt like something they had done for years. It felt as if the time they spent apart never existed.  
>"What was I thinking back then, leaving all of a sudden? I really am an idiot, I've missed this. This doing nothing, no rushing to a job, not worrying about someone finding us together, being just like this is perfect."<br>"Tamaki, now knowing why you left, I'm not surprised that you did. You've always gone out of your way to help anyone. While I wish you hadn't left I understand why you chose to. But, you know you can still come back. Nothing bad will happen to me if you do."  
>"I…I don't know. Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea."<br>"Your father would be happy to see you again, and to know he is a grandfather."  
>"I know but,"<br>"Is it about your reputation? Or is it my rep your worried about? Well no one said you had to come back right now. I think moving René in the summer would be best so I can get a room ready and get him enrolled at Ouran. If he gets a few days off between now and then you both could come visit and you could see that we want you back in Japan."  
>"You really want me back? Even after all I've done? After all I could do should people find out what I've done. You still want us to live together?"<br>"I do, I'll do whatever it takes to have us be together."

Those words, that sincerity in which they were said made his heart stop. Unable to not smile he leaned over to kiss him. As their lips touched he felt the same passion and love as last night. Feeling such love course through his body he knew he would gain the courage to move back to Japan come the summer. He couldn't be without this anymore and would do whatever it took to hold it forever. Feeling Kyouya start to pull away Tamaki pulled him back burying his face into Kyouya's neck. He missed this, all of this, the kisses, the love, the being held, being wanted for something other than sex. He missed having someone in his life and to feel it again made it seem like all his troubles before were nothing, like they never existed. Back then he felt this way every time he was with Kyouya.

Tamaki slid onto the cushions as Kyouya's hand ran down his back. Both knew this would go no further than making out but after years of nothing this was all they needed. Right now they were each other's, nothing else mattered, it could all wait till later. Both bolted upright when the front door opened. Tamaki ran into the bathroom to calm down for a minute. Catching a glimpse at the clock he noticed they were together longer than he originally thought.

Sunday the three of them spent the day together before following René through a trail behind the apartment.  
>"How much further René?"<br>"Not much father, do you need to stop? Are you feeling okay?" It was cold today and getting closer as the sun was starting to set. Stopping he made sure his father was okay, he almost forgot that he had been released from the hospital on Friday.  
>"I'm okay, just wondering." Looking over at Kyouya he saw he just wearily smirked.<br>"Okay here we are!"  
>Tamaki looked ahead again to see the Eiffel Tower coming into focus. They were on top of a cliff; he didn't even know Paris had cliffs like this. The view was gorgeous, you could see most of the city from here.<br>"Wow René, this is perfect. Isn't this great Kyouya?" Looking over to see Kyouya behind him, he saw he was trying to not look at the city. "Are you okay?"  
>"Just peachy."<br>"What's wrong?"  
>"Nothing, I just think I'll hang out back here."<br>"But that's silly, come here."  
>"Really I'm good." Confused he just stared at him, this wasn't like him.<br>"Kyouya, are you scared of heights?"  
>Hearing them René turned to face them as he heard his father's question. Maybe he should have told them where he wanted to take them first.<br>"I am, thanks for bringing that up." Tamaki knew that tone, Kyouya was peeved with him.  
>"Dad do you want to go somewhere else?"<br>"No here is fine, I just can't get close to the edge alright."  
>"Sorry Kyouya, I forgot that you were scared of heights."<br>"Just forget it."  
>Sitting on the ground they started to relax.<p>

Still having to wait a few hours before midnight René was running around trying to explain something else to them. Tamaki told Kyouya all about the parties that went on and the fireworks in the streets. Paris turned into one giant party. Running behind Kyouya and leaning over him he voiced the idea that it would be fun to go to the street celebrations and again Tamaki voiced his reasoning of why they weren't going.  
>"You're too young. Unless you go to a restaurant most drinks given have some sort of alcohol in them. I don't want you drinking at the age of nine, sorry." Realizing his dad wasn't going to side with him he moved away to lay in the grass. He loved being here with both his parents. He couldn't believe he was actually going to welcome in the New Year with his dad and his father, this was a dream come true. This year he got to welcome in being like a normal kid, like his best friend, and this could be the year his father finally got to take it easy the way he deserved.<p>

Tamaki bunched himself up tighter after the sun had completely set trying to stay warm. They still had another hour and it was freezing out it felt like.  
>"Come here Tamaki."<br>"I'm okay."  
>"Now, before you turn blue." Tamaki felt Kyouya pull him closer, wrapping his arms around him. Grabbing René he pulled him close to keep him warm as well, together they could do it easily he was sure.<br>"You know Tamaki, it is my duty to take care of you."  
>"Your duty? Says who?"<br>"Says the unwritten rule that the father is to take care of his family."  
>"Is that so?" Moving closer to Kyouya he rested his head against his chest. He remembered saying the exact same thing to him back then, funny how roles would be reversed years later. René looked back at them, lost by the conversation but happy to hear his dad say it was his duty to take care of them. He said it with such pride and affection; it was hard to not become red in the face from it.<br>"Is it just the cold getting to me or did it just get really dark here?"  
>"That's that Eiffel tower, they turn the lights off expect the ones for the planes before midnight every year." Soon they could hear people cheering as fireworks shot up around the Eiffel Tower.<br>"Whoohoo its 2015!"  
>"Happy New Year René, you as well Kyouya." Tamaki reached back to kiss Kyouya. If how the year ended was a sign to how this New Year would be then it was off to a great start. Being together at the start of a new year that held so much for them, was exciting just by its self.<br>"Happy New Year Tamaki." The three of them all together watching the fireworks was a great way to welcome in the New Year.

Once the fireworks stopped they followed René back to the apartment. Tamaki put on water for drinks before digging out a blanket for Kyouya to help him stop shaking from the cold. It was freezing out; they had been crazy to stay out so late. Wondering what was taking René so long to come out of the bedroom, he had gone into to change; Tamaki went to check on him. Seeing him asleep on his bed he let him be. Going back into the kitchen he made their drinks before joining Kyouya in the living room. Seeing him sitting there he found it hard for his face to not break out into a smile. Just seeing him there, for the first time in a long time he felt that everything was normal, perfect. Sitting together, in silence or not was perfect, together they warmed up sharing the blanket. When they were done with their cups Tamaki put them in the sink, going back to Kyouya he was pulled on top of him who draped the blanket over them. He loved being so close to Kyouya.  
>"I should probably head back to the hotel so you can get some sleep."<br>"If you're comfortable like this then I am too." Fixing his position so Kyouya could lay comfortably across the seats, he had laid on top of him, resting his head on his chest. "If I am too heavy I'll move."  
>"You're fine." Feeling Kyouya wrap his arms around him he let Kyouya do what he needed to do so he could be comfortable. Placing his head on his chest he soon found it hard to stay awake.<p>

René woke up later in the morning bummed he fell asleep soon after they got back but happy he stayed awake for the fireworks. Last night was one of the best nights of his life and he was never going to forget it. Leaving the bedroom he wondered if his parents were up. Seeing them together, asleep, on the loveseat filled him with such joy. They looked happy as they were.  
>"Yes!" Hoping he didn't wake them he walked back into his room to celebrate. This was great! It looked like his New Years wish to have a complete family was going to come true.<p>

Tamaki's ears picked up a foreign noise pulling him from a dream. Opening his eyes he realized he was still on top of Kyouya and the noise was a phone ringing. It wasn't the house phone, maybe it was a neighbors? Carefully and gently moving off Kyouya he went to figure out what that was. Opening the closet door he noticed it was coming from Kyouya's coat pocket. Taking the phone he went back over to him seeing he had already readjusted himself with Tamaki no longer on him. Knowing this wasn't going to be easy he attempted to wake him up to answer his cell. He didn't want him to get in trouble if he forgot to do something.  
>"Good morning Tamaki, is something wrong?"<br>"Someone just called you. Did you forget to do something?"  
>"No, all my business here is done. Let me see." Sitting beside him once he sat up he waited to make sure everything was okay.<br>"Is something wrong Kyouya?"  
>"It's my father. I should call him back."<br>"R…right, I'll go see if René is up." Getting up he let Kyouya be; he didn't want Yoshio to learn anything before Kyouya was ready to tell him. Seeing René up, he sat beside him on the bed so they could just talk. He also wanted to thank him for taking them to such a great spot. It was perfect in so many ways. Both looked at the door as they saw Kyouya standing there. Making room for him on the bed they sat together. René listening to his dad and father talk about their plans for the three of them. It wasn't perfect but it was something at least.  
>"So we can't live together until this summer?"<br>"Correct, but it will come fast once you go back to school."  
>"And if you get a few days off we will go visit your dad together, okay." He still had his fears with moving René to Japan. France was his home, if he really didn't want to move come this summer then he would figure something else out with Kyouya.<br>"Okay."

After they had all showered and dressed for the rest of the day René brought up Sara's party. That was right; they told her weeks ago they would be there as they were every year. Tamaki wasn't sure what to do, he wanted to go and Kyouya was welcome to join of course but yet he really wanted to spend the day with Kyouya and René. Last night had been the first time they did something together as a family and he didn't want to make it the only thing. René really wanted to go to Sara's though, ugh why was everything so complicated?  
>"Then let's let René go. I do want to meet your friend. We can do something together, we have a lot to discuss after all and I'm sure René would rather have fun then listen to us."<br>"I guess, Sara has been bugging me to meet you, alright we'll do that then."  
>The three of them walked to the house, not surprised to see Sara's face light up when she opened the door. Inviting them in Tamaki told her they couldn't really stay but René wanted to hang out with Michael.<br>"Oh Sara, my manners, this Kyouya Ootori, Kyouya this is my friend Sara Belmont."  
>"Best friend actually it's so nice to meet you."<br>"The pleasure is mine. I wanted to thank you for all the help you've provided Tamaki with throughout the years."  
>"With someone like Tamaki its hard not to." Whispering to Tamaki she asked, "So he is René's father?" He just smiled and nodded. "You know how to pick them huh, he is very nice looking. No wonder you want to spend time with him."<br>"I feel bad for not staying."  
>"Don't be. You've waited years for this, enjoy yourself. Michael will keep René busy so you two can spend the day together.<br>"You're the best."  
>"Just remember as your friend I expect details later."<br>He started to laugh as he turned to leave. Once both were out the door he heard her yell, "Remember not to get carried away! Have fun but be safe!"  
>Tamaki dropped his head as he started blushing as he heard Kyouya start laughing. Of course <em>that <em>he would understand.  
>"I like her Tamaki, she is, interesting."<br>"Sara is…great." Rolling his eyes he stood up straight. He was looking forward to this time with Kyouya even if all they did was talk. While it would have been nice if René joined them just being the two of them was okay too.

René went to Michael's room to see him playing video games.  
>"Hey René you made it! My mom wasn't sure if you would or not with your dad in town."<br>"They had to discuss some things I think and I…" He wanted to tell Michael he was going to be living with his dad, that him and his father were going to move in with his dad this summer. But, before the words came out they stopped. He was moving, he would be leaving his best friend, his brother, once the summer arrived. He couldn't tell him right now, he wasn't ready to tell him they would have to say good bye in the near future.  
>"You what René?"<br>"Nothing, I forget what it was."  
>"Loser."<br>"Yea that's what you'll be when I beat you in combat again."  
>"No way, I've been training."<br>Sitting next to him he was handed a controller so he could play. He would have to tell him eventually but right now he wanted to enjoy this time with him,

Tamaki walked beside Kyouya enjoying the city together. It was a nice sort of strange to do this with him just hanging out.  
>"Have you ever been to the top of the Eiffel Tower?"<br>"You've asking me? The person that has lived here for the last ten years? No, I've haven't, not since I was little. "  
>"Then come on, let's go."<br>"Wait, but I thought you were scared of height?"  
>"I fly don't I. Don't worry I just won't look down." Feeling Kyouya take his hand they walked to it. Reaching the top he held on to his hand tighter as they enjoyed the breathtaking view together.<br>"Kyouya look its snowing." Pointing up and out the window he watched the snow start to fall. "You know Kyouya, being here. Up here like this, it reminds me of when we would just look up at the stars at my house. Moments like this make it hard to believe that was years ago." They watched the snow fall for a few minutes before heading back down hand in hand. It was strange to feel so carefree after all this time. It was a welcomed feeling but a strange one all the same. Keeping their hands together they walked the streets a little longer and enjoyed the celebrations still going on from last night. As the snow feel harder and made it harder to walk in Kyouya led them back to his hotel since it was closer than the apartment.

Getting to the room Tamaki sat by the heater hoping to heat up faster.  
>"I hope this let's up so your flight doesn't delay you anymore. I don't want your father to get mad."<br>"I'm more concerned about René, if this doesn't stop do you think he could spend the night with your friend?"  
>"Probably, if it doesn't slow down a little, but I'll call later and ask."<br>Seeing Tamaki was still by the heater shaking Kyouya grabbed the bed's comforter and placed it over him.  
>"What about you?"<br>"I'm going to shower. You can too and have that heat you up." That sounded really nice, his whole body felt cold. Wrapping the comforter around him better he couldn't stop his mind from wondering. He was in a hotel room, alone, with Kyouya.

Once Kyouya was out he went and did the same. The hot water did help warm him, as did the thought that Kyouya could to. His warm arms could hold him, his lips could touch him, his body could…what was he doing? He needed to control himself, besides he wasn't really prepared for an intimate time with Kyouya and he didn't want to bring another René in the world. If he ever had another child he wanted to do it right. Shutting off the water he stood in his towel for a moment trying to calm down before he got dressed and left. He was an adult he was more mature than when he was sixteen, he could control himself. Leaving the bathroom he noticed Kyouya had the weather on as he walked past him to sit back in the chair.  
>"You can sit on the bed Tamaki. I won't do anything I promise."<br>"I…I know that. It's not you I'm worried about."  
>He really didn't want to think about this. The thought of sex sounded so good to him.<br>"I don't know what I want."  
>"I've noticed."<br>"Hey! Okay so maybe your right but still." Even so though, he got up to join him on the bed. They were both adults, they could just sit together and do nothing else. Even as he tried to not think about it his body seemed to react to Kyouya being so near.  
>"Kyouya, kiss me."<br>"Wha…?" Before he could say anything Tamaki moved to have their lips touch. Pulling away for only a second he moved to sit on Kyouya's lap, almost like that of a straddle, before rejoining their lips. Feeling Kyouya move a hand through his hair he pulled away.  
>"I don't know if we should."<br>"Then we won't but Tamaki, kissing doesn't do anything."  
>"I know, you're right." Going back they moved to better positions as their bodies started to take over. Tamaki pulled away before going back. Feeling Kyouya's hands on his face they stopped as Kyouya pulled away this time.<br>"I don't want to do this if you're not comfortable that this could lead somewhere."  
>"No, it's not that, I don't care if it does, something else keeps stopping me."<br>"Tamaki, I…I'm not sixteen anymore. I'm not stupid."  
>"So then do you, because I don't?"<br>"Relax its fine, I've got it."

Tamaki laid in bed surprised by his actions, did he really just do what he thought they did? What came over him? What a rush. Catching his breath he sat up and looked out the window to see it was still snowing pretty hard.  
>"René!"<br>"What?"  
>"What time is it? I need to make sure René didn't decide to walk home. Where is your phone?"<br>"Just use the room one; I'm not sure where my cell is at the moment. I'm sure he is fine Tamaki. I doubt your friend would make him walk in this."  
>"Still, I can't believe I forgot."<br>Dialing Sara's number he waited with a speeding heartbeat for her to pick up. When she did and he asked her about René she yelled at him. She couldn't believe they had been friends this long, René was like a second son to her, and he had called to make sure he didn't walk home in the storm. Feeling Kyouya wrap an arm around his chest he realized he had panicked for nothing.  
>"You deserve this Tamaki so take it. René is fine and having a blast with Michael. We'll see you tomorrow." Hanging up he rested against Kyouya. It felt as if this was a dream to be back in his arms again.<br>"Relax Tamaki, he is fine isn't he? So you forgot, things happen and it wasn't like you just plainly forgot about him, you were; busy."  
>"That was fun, huh?" Looking over at Kyouya he kissed him the best he could.<br>"That was fun."  
>"Can we go again?"<br>"You haven't changed."

René wasn't all that surprised to hear he was spending the night. He saw the snow coming down pretty hard and hoped his parents were okay. Hearing they were fine was good to know but they couldn't come get him and they didn't want him to walk in this. It made sense and he didn't want to go out in this either. Once Sara told him all of this he joined Michael in the living room to finish watching the movie they had on. Abby sat beside him to rest against him. He had no problems with this; he cared and respected her like she was his own little sister. He would really miss all of this when he moved; hopefully they could visit in the summer. He really didn't want to say good-bye to his best friend forever.

Tamaki sat up in bed from getting hungry. They hadn't eaten since they woke up and it was close to seven at night. Plus, what they did hadn't helped conserve their appetite's.  
>"Hungry? Suddenly I'm starving." Kyouya sat up beside him, waiting for an answer.<br>"Yea, I was just thinking that."  
>"I'll order room service then."<br>"Room service, god it feels like such a luxury to me." Getting up Tamaki threw on his pants before turning the lights on so they didn't have to sit in the dark. Well, the TV was on, neither bothered to turn it off before, but that wasn't doing much for light. Switching on the second lamp Tamaki noticed Kyouya was staring at him. Something about it was making him self-conscious.  
>"How much do you weight Tamaki?"<br>"What? Why?"  
>"You've always been thin I know this, but, you look very thin. Are you underweight?"<br>"I have no idea how much I weigh, I don't exactly check." He knew he was underweight; he could never put weight on and keep it on. He didn't want Kyouya to know these things though, none of this was his fault.  
>"Tamaki, tell me your eating."<br>"Of course I'm eating. I'm not anorexic. I've always been like this you just haven't seen me in years you forgot."  
>"You go hungry when money's tight don't you?"<br>"Just drop it Kyouya. I'm fine. God you're just like Sara, always worrying over nothing."  
>"Starving isn't something to shrug off it's a serious problem. It can cause major health problems. Think of what it would do to René if,"<br>"I do think of him! Why else do you think I do it!" He stopped realizing he told Kyouya he was right. Since the cat was out of the bag he figured it was best to explain himself.  
>"It started soon after he was born. I barely had enough to feed him some weeks so I would go without. I know it's a serious problem; I have been hospitalized for it once already. I had a bad cold and I couldn't keep food down because I hadn't eaten in days. I had put weight back on once I started working at the house. I gained a good bit of weight because I thought I was preg…anyway after I moved to escape Brandon, money became tight again and René's school was always investigating me trying to prove René wasn't being taken care so I always made sure he was eating so I would skip a meal every so often."<br>"Tamaki. You're so reckless." Kyouya came off the bed to wrap his arms around him. He loved feeling him close again.  
>"I'm not waiting until June to solve this problem. I won't let you jeopardize your health. When I get back I am going to set up an automatic transfer for you so you have money. I won't risk losing you again."<br>"Kyouya, I…"  
>"No, I'm doing this for you. Quit your afternoon and weekend job so you can spend more time with René. I know you hate always working and he wants you home more. I'll pay your rent and have plenty for food. Tomorrow before my flight I'll add my name to your account or I'll open an account. You don't have a bank account do you?" Hearing that he must have made a face about being added to his, but it was true he didn't have one. He wanted nothing that could trace someone to him.<br>"I love you Kyouya. I'm so glad we are together again." Kissing his perfect lips, lips he could never get enough of they slowly moved back to the bed.

René stood with his parents at the airport before his dad boarded the plan. He couldn't believe his dad had to leave already.  
>"You really have to go dad?"<br>"Sadly yes, but believe me, I don't want to. I'm really glad I met you René. Remember our deal okay?" Feeling his dad pull him close he hugged him back. He could keep his grades up no problem. The family company would be his one day. He would take over for his dad."  
>"Sure thing dad."<br>"Contact me when you land, please."  
>"I will. And please take it easy Tamaki. When I get home I'll set up automatic transfer up for you, as I said I would."<br>"I will, my two weeks at the stores go in tomorrow."  
>Before Kyouya walked away to board Tamaki brought him close for one last kiss, hopefully to help him relax before his flight.<br>"Is it June yet?"

René led the way to take Michael somewhere. He knew he would like it and it would became "their" spot.  
>"René how much further?"<br>"Not much, come on." Going a little faster he stopped when they made it to the top.  
>"Woah." Looking over he saw Michael staring at the city with his mouth hanging open.<br>"I love coming up here. It's a great place to think."  
>"You can see almost all of the city from here."<br>Sitting on the grass René tried to get the reason he brought Michael here out. When he did he could tell Michael didn't know what to do at first.  
>"You're moving to Japan?"<br>"Yea, once I'm out of school for the year."  
>"But, you're my best friend. We made a promise to always have each other's back."<br>"I know." Hugging his knees he tried not to cry. This was so hard.  
>"You better come visit. And keep in touch."<br>"My dad said he would set me up with an e-mail account."  
>"He better, I'll have mom do the same."<br>"I want to live with my dad but Japan isn't where I grew up. I've never been the new kid."  
>"You'll be fine René. You're dad is loaded right? That should help. And maybe some summer I could go there."<br>"Yea! His house is huge you could sleep over my place for once!"  
>"Awesome!"<br>Both started joking around before they realized they were crying.  
>"Lame."<br>"Yea. Hey Michael." Wiping his eyes he tried to stop crying as Michael did the same as he tried to listen to René. "Let's make another promise, right here and now, that we never forget each other. Friends forever."  
>"Brothers."<br>"Brothers."  
>Together they shook hands with their own personal combo that ended in with linking pinkies."<br>"Oh and René."  
>"Yea?"<br>"No one knows we cried like babies just now. And no one but us can come up here."  
>"Done and well, I brought my parents up here on New Year's."<br>"I can live with that."  
>They stayed up here looking over the city before they had to get going so their parents wouldn't get mad. René was certain he would stay close to Michael as he got older even if they lived countries a part.<p>

0o0o0o0o0o0  
>Well everyone this is it, the end of our story. For more on life with Tamaki and René please check out my story 10 years and René's story when he is grown up in Making Your Own Mistakes. Thank you for sticking with me this long I hope you all enjoyed the ride. See you all soon. Please review.<br>~Femalefighter~


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